"When youth and beauty meet together,
There's worke for breath."
And surely here are youth and beauty met together! Rylton, seeing the sweet combination, draws a long breath.
She advances towards him in the friendliest way, as if delighted.
"I haven't had a word with you," says she. "Hardly one. You just told me your mother had not come, and"—she stops, and breaks into a gay little laugh—"you must forgive me, but what I said to myself was, 'Thank goodness!' " She covers her eyes with widened fingers, and peeps at him through them. "What I said to you out loud was, 'Oh, I am sorry!' Do you remember? Now, am I not a hypocrite?"
At this she takes down her hands from her eyes, and holds them out to him in the prettiest way.
He pushes them savagely from him.
"You are!" says he hoarsely; "and one of the very worst of your kind!"
CHAPTER VIII.
HOW TITA, HAVING BEEN REPULSED, GROWS ANGRY; AND HOW A VERY PRETTY BATTLE IS FOUGHT OUT; AND HOW TITA GAINS A PRESENT; AND HOW SIR MAURICE LOSES HIS TEMPER.
Her hands drop to her sides. She grows suddenly a little pale. Her eyes widen.