“Oh, I’ve heard youngsters like you talk before! You can’t fool an old married woman. I’ve seen what was going on.”
In vain he protested that there was nothing “going on.”
“You can’t fool me,” she repeated. “Inza Burrage is handsome and fascinating, and you’ve been sticking to the house in a most amazing way since she arrived. Haven’t you learned that she’s engaged to a Mr. Merriwell?”
“Of course.”
“She’s in love with him, too, so it won’t do you any good to waste your time. Don’t get to mooning round her. She’s aware that you are interested, and I think it’s beginning to annoy her. I have a fancy that’s one reason why both girls are sticking so close to their room to-night. They’re keeping away from you.”
“They don’t have to!” he muttered, his pride touched and his cheeks hot.
Then he wandered off by himself, turned on the electric light in the little reading room back of the parlor, flung himself on a leather-covered Morris chair and studied for an hour. Finally his thoughts wandered from his studies and he dropped the book. His eyes had begun to smart and burn, and he turned off the light.
The doorbell rang. It was answered by a colored maid, and two young men entered. They gave the colored girl their cards, and she told them to step into the parlor and wait.
The sliding door between the parlor and the little room occupied by Fillmore was partly open. He caught a glimpse of the two visitors and saw that both were fine-looking fellows. One had dark hair and eyes. The other sat down where Fred could see him. The light fell full on his face, and the youth on the Morris chair noted its unusual strength and manly beauty. The longer he gazed at that face the more deeply he was impressed by a conviction that the young man was a person of great ability and force who was destined to make a mark in the world.
“This will be a great surprise for the girls,” said the one of the dark hair.