“What does Miss Yorke say?” asked the other.
“I say what they say at the libraries about the book of the season. You shall have me when the captain has done with me.” She turned merrily to the captain. “But you mustn’t skip, you know. I shall allow you fourteen minutes for perusal.”
“I want to read you through,” said Hammond. And he went out.
SCENE VIII
CINDERELLA
“How very sober Mr. Hammond seems to-night! I hope he isn’t going to be cross.”
Though she spoke gayly enough, a vague sense of ill was stealing over her. She sat down on a low cane settee, over which flowering shrubs made a sort of canopy, and a sadness seemed to breathe in the heavy scent of tuberose and stephanotis.
Captain Mauleverer placed himself beside her, and looked at her with a certain respectful pity as he answered:
“That isn’t likely. I’m sure it wouldn’t be easy to be cross with you, Miss Yorke.”
Belle detected something in his voice which increased her foreboding.
“You look as grave as Mr. Hammond. Is anything the matter?”