'That is very nicely done,' George said, sarcastically. 'Why didn't you get Raban to help you to arrange the flowers, Rhoda, before he left?
'We were talking, and I didn't like to interrupt him,' said Rhoda. 'I was asking him all about political economy.'
George's ugly face flushed.
'Are you satisfied that the supply of admiration equals the demand?' said George.
'George, how can you talk so?' says Rhoda.
An hour later they were all straggling down the narrow cross-streets that led to the college again.
Dolly came, walking shyly by her lover's side; Mrs. Palmer leant heavily upon John Morgan's arm. Every moment she dropped her long dress, and had to wait to gather the folds together. Surely the twilight of that summer's day was the sweetest twilight that Dolly had ever set eyes upon. It came creeping from the fields beyond the river, from alley to alley, from one college to another. It seemed to the excited girl to be a soft tranquillising veil let down upon the agitations and excitements of the day. She watched it growing in the old hall, where she presently sat at the cross-table under the very glance of the ubiquitous Fundator, who was again present in his frill and short cloak, between the two deep-cut windows.
The long table crossed the hall, with a stately decoration of gold and silver cups all down the centre; there were oaken beams overhead; old college servants in attendance. The great silver tankards went round brimming with claret and hock, and with straggling stems of burrage floating on fragrant seas.
By what unlucky chance did it happen that some one had written out the names of the guests, each in their place, and that Dolly found a strange young don on one side of her plate, and Raban on the other? Henley did not wish to excite remark, and subsided into the place appointed for him, when he found that he was not to sit where he chose.
'Drink, Dolly,' said George, who was sitting opposite to her; 'let us drink a toast.'