To his surprise, she held out her hand. He took it with wonderful calmness, considering what the touch meant to him, and he returned discreetly what was meant for a friendly pressure. She was so well satisfied now that she did not think it necessary to telegraph to Logotheti that he might start at once, though even [{179}] if she had done so immediately he could hardly have reached Bayreuth till the afternoon of the next day but one, when the last performance of Parsifal would be already going on; and she herself intended to leave on the morning after that.
She walked forward in silence for a few moments, and the lights of the town grew quickly brighter.
'You will come in and have some supper with us, of course,' she said presently.
'Why, certainly, since you're so kind,' answered Van Torp.
'I feel responsible for your having forgotten to dine,' she laughed. 'I must make it up to you. By this time Mrs. Rushmore is probably wondering where I am.'
'Well,' said the American, 'if she thinks I'm perfection, she knows that you're safe with me, I suppose, even if you do come home a little late.'
'I shall say that we walked home very slowly, in order to breathe the air.'
'Yes. We've walked home very slowly.'
'I mean,' said Margaret quickly, 'that I shall not say we have been out towards the fields, as far as the gate.'
'I don't see any harm if we have,' observed Mr Van Torp indifferently.