‘Thou didst delight mine ear,
Ah! little praise; thy voice
Makes other hearts rejoice,
Makes all ears glad that hear,
And shout my joy. But yet,
O song, do not forget.’
Susan is seated beside a very fashionably-dressed girl with an extremely good-humoured face, and Captain Lennox—a man of about thirty or thereabouts—who seems to find pleasure in an every two minutes’ contemplation of her young and charming face. In this, the good-humoured looking girl—Miss Forbes—is not a whit behind Captain Lennox, she too seeming to be delighted with Susan. And, indeed, everyone seems to have fallen in love with pretty Susan, for presently the stately young beauty sitting next to Crosby, who has come in a little late for luncheon, whispers something to him, and then looks smilingly at Susan. Crosby, in answer to her words, says quietly:
‘Susan—Lady Muriel Kennedy is very anxious to know you. Miss Barry, Lady Muriel.’
‘I went past your charming old home yesterday,’ says Lady Muriel, in tones barely above a whisper, but which seem to carry a long distance. ‘I quite wanted to go in, but I was afraid.’
‘Well, you’ll be able to satiate your curiosity on Friday,’ says Lady Forster, ‘as we have been asked to tea on that day at the Rectory.’