"Why should we interest her?"
"There are one or two reasons why we should. I think after all you must be very careful of her. I believe if she stays on in England you had better not let the acquaintance increase."
"Very well." Amaryllis again did not question him; she felt he knew best.
"She has been most successful here, and at the Bridgeborough ball she amused herself with a German officer, and left the other women's men alone. He was brought by the party from Broomgrove and was most empressé; he got introduced to her at once—just after we came in. I expect they will bring him to-night. He and she looked such a magnificent pair, dancing a quadrille. It was quite a serious ball to begin with! None of those dances of which you disapprove, and all the Yeomanry wore their uniforms and the German officer wore his too."
"He was a fine animal, then?"
"Yes—but?"
"You said a pair—only an animal could make a pair with Harietta!
Describe him to me. What was he like? And what uniform did he wear?"
Amaryllis gave a description, of height, and fairness, and of the blue and gold coat.
"He would have been really good-looking, only that to our eyes his hips are too wide."
"It sounds typically German—there are hundreds such there—some ordinary
Prussian Infantry regiment, I expect. You say he was introduced to
Harietta? They were not old friends—no?"