She smiled.
"Have you been dreaming again?" I inquired, a little anxiously.
"Dreaming? No, my sleep was profound, perfect rest. But where is Jessie? She sat where you are when I fell off."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, I remember—her left hand held mine, with her right she was soothing the pain from my forehead."
"That was some time ago; she has gone out to ride since, and I am quite sure Mr. Lee came up here after she left you," I said.
"I am glad of it," she answered, gently. "He was rather late this morning, I remember thinking; but Jessie would not own it. So he came up, and I did not hear him. Miss Hyde, this is the first time in my whole life that his lightest footstep failed to awake me,—what can it mean?"
"Yes," broke in Lottie, who had been hanging around the door, unnoticed; for we had all become so used to her presence in that room, that it was no more heeded than that of the canary-bird in its cage on the balcony,—"yes, ma'am, Mr. Lee came up with his spurs on, and his whip all ready, just like a trooper, clang, clang, clang. I thought the noise would make you jump out of the window in that white, loose gown, just like an angel with its wings spread; but law! there you were, ma'am, snoozing away right in his face, and he making up his mind, with the whip in his hand, whether to kiss you good-bye or not."
"And did he?" inquired the lady, with a faint flush of the cheek.
"No, ma'am; I suppose he was afraid of scaring you out of that nice sleep. He only looked at you sort of earnestly, and went off trying to walk on tiptoe; but mercy! didn't them boots creak?"