"You hardly understand, Miss Whitburn," he said turning suddenly towards Toney, who held the flowers in her hand. "I loved Miss Hamilton with all my heart. She made me believe she loved me, and then she threw me over because my father had honestly earned his living in trade, because he had nobly scraped every penny from his hard-earned money to give me a musical education. I can never make you rich people understand what I owe to my father, and when Miss Hamilton——"
"Oh yes, don't dwell on it, I told you it was the old pussy cat, her mother—Aunt Dove would be just the same—but you must not think Jeanie is like that now—Pups—(that's my father)—did everything for me and I quite understand, but then he would have been the first to tell me to make it up. Wouldn't your father?"
"He often has told me to try again, but he did not understand."
"Then that's easy—— Oh, please, there's awfully little time—and just to please me, will you play one of the pieces you used to play together at the end of the concert. I've got her fiddle here and she would be so awfully happy, and she has a lovely dress, and——"
Toney's words were as if the Dam of Assouan had given way and had let through the waters of the Nile, and then all at once she stood on tip-toe, for the precious minutes were flying and with deft fingers she unpinned his camellia.
"You needn't say anything, the camellia will speak; there! I must fly, you've got eight minutes and then you'll have to come. There's a chair left for Jeanie in front, it will sort of inspire you, won't it? Oh, thank you a thousand times."
She opened the door and flew past Jim with the reminder, "and, Jim, when time's up, don't go in, only knock loud," and ran in the dim darkness towards the house—but at that moment she ran against someone.
"Oh!—why it's you! How very, very nice."
"I was coming to look for you, Toney. Lady Dove is getting rather——"
"Yes, of course. Will you, please, go and give this camellia to Jeanie. Maud is there, and will you tell Jeanie to go to Mr. Weston. He wants to see her about some music—and then will you take Maud into the concert-room. Oh, that's all, but please run."