Yet—and the fact was significant—in spite of all, it was with a holiday feeling that, after seeing Winnie off to Shaylor's Patch, he packed his bag and repaired home—he thought of Woburn Square as home. He was greeted with great joy.
"Fancy having you with us for two whole days!" said his mother.
"Like old times!" exclaimed his father, beaming with smiles on the hearthrug.
The theatre had been arranged for. Mrs. Ledstone's health forbade her being a member of the party, but Mr. Ledstone was ready for an outing. Amy would go; and Mabel Thurseley had been invited to complete the quartette. Amy looked after her father, to Godfrey fell the duty of squiring Miss Thurseley. They had good seats in the dress-circle; Mr. Ledstone, Amy, Mabel, Godfrey—that was the order of sitting. The play was a capital farce. They all got into high spirits, even Amy forgetting to chide herself and content to be happy. Mabel's life was not rich in gaiety; she responded to its stimulus readily. Her cheeks glowed, her eyes grew bright and challenging. She made a new appeal to Godfrey.
"I can't let her think me a fool." So he excused his attentions and his pleasure in them.
"I suppose you go a lot to the theatre, don't you?" she asked. "I expect you're blasé!"
"No, I don't go much."
"Why not? Don't you care about going alone?"
"Now why do you assume I need go alone?"
"No, of course you needn't! How silly of me! Do you ever take—ladies?" She was roguish over this question.