"I think I do Leslie" said Sylvia getting very hot "but I must speak to uncle about it first."
"Don't forget" said Leslie in a beseeching tone "and let me know as soon as possible."
So the whole of that evening Leslie and Sylvia kept together but as Leslie was helping Sylvia on with her cloak, Sylvia saw Isobel Saunders gazing at Leslie with a look which went straight to her heart.
CHAPTER 4
AFTER THE BALL
Before we go on any further we had better say a word about Isobel Saunders.
She was the only daughter of Colonel Saunders of the 159th who having lost a lot of money in the army was now in very poor circumstances. His wife had died five years previously and left him with three sons and a daughter. The eldest son William was a tall stout elderly man of about 25 who followed his father's profession. Robert the next was fair and delicate looking taking after his mother and lived very much at home and was just 21 years of age. The youngest son Frederick who was Isobel's junior by 4 years was still at school.
Isobel, who at the time my story opens had just attained the age of 20 years was 5 feet 3 inches in height, she had thick dark hair fashionably dressed and a massive fringe over her stately forehead. She had bewitching brown eyes from which long lashes swept her cheeks. She had an aqueline nose and a bright complextion. She had nice feet and was fairly podgy.