'Oh! I never thaw any one in my life I like tho much, except Rowland Prothero. He ith younger. Mamma thaith—'
'There again, Wilhelmina!'
'I forgot—you are tho quick, Freda. Don't you like Colonel Vaughan?'
'Pretty well sometimes.'
'What a colour you have, Freda. You thouldn't draw tho much. I with I had a tathte for drawing. Colonel Vaughan drawth tho well!'
'What can his drawing well have to do with your drawing?'
'He would look over my drawing then ath he doth yourth, Freda. He thaith you are very clever. But you mutht be nearly five-and-twenty, Freda; and he thaith no woman ought ever to be more than twenty-one,'
'When did he favour you with that remark? I think I once heard him say twenty-five was the most charming age of all.'
At this part of the conversation the subject of it entered the room, and whilst Freda's colour rose higher and higher, and she stooped more closely over her drawing, Miss Nugent got up and greeted him with great delight. Freda made up her mind not to speak, that she might listen to the conversation that ensued.
'Are all the preparations progressing, Miss Nugent? What are we to do to celebrate the great event?' asked the colonel.