"Of course. Doesn't everybody love Lady Jane?"
He had caught the words. Across the child they looked at each other.
"This is a surprise."
Jean felt as if they were playing a game. A thousand things that she had wanted to tell him during these weeks rushed to her mind. She felt childish and excited, like Puck. "Yes——" She had intended to say something about meeting Mrs. Allen yesterday, to enlighten Gregory as much as she could, but she found herself facing the words "Mrs. Allen" and she could not go on.
Then Margaret entered, trying to sum up in a rapid glance the measure of her success in proving to Gregory that important people like Jean Herrick thought her worth while cultivating. But there was no surprise in Gregory, and Jean felt that Margaret was annoyed. She had set her little stage and the actor wouldn't play.
"Come, Puck, have you said good-night to Mrs. Herrick?"
Puck cast one long, beseeching look at her father, but for once he failed her. Without seeing her pleading, he bent and kissed her good-night.
"Good-night, Puck; sleep tight."
Puck's shoulders straightened. There was forced politeness but no friendliness now in her eyes as she held out her hand to Jean.
"Good-night, Mrs. Herrick."