"I hope you may never have the same reason to be," said Allan, with a half-suppressed glance at the lively pair near the window.
A lover, from his very nature, must be decidedly unhappy or supremely blest, and it is scarcely to be expected that perfect felicity can reign in a heart whose pretty mistress is spending her smiles on another man. Allan did not believe that Rose really cared for Mr. Galton—he had seen too many proofs to the contrary—but he did believe that she was giving that objectionable gentleman every reason to think that she did care. With how many men did she pursue this course of action, and was he to believe her guilty of careless coquetry? Upon how many admirers may a rose breathe perfume and still keep its innocent heart sweet for its lover? These were the questions that rankled in his mind, while Eva set the checkers in place.
"Perhaps I can keep you from getting a king," she said exultantly.
"If I can only keep my queen," observed the young man absently.
"Why, Mr. Dunlop, there are no queens in this game; it isn't like chess."
"There! you see how little I know about it," was the regretful reply.
Despite this painful manifestation of ignorance the two combatants appeared for a while to be very equally matched. Then the advantage was clearly on Allan's side. His king committed frightful havoc among the scattered ranks of the enemy, till suddenly, as he observed the painful stress of attention and warm colour in the face of his fair little foe, a strange and unaccountable languor fell upon his troops. They seemed to care not whether they lived or died, while their shameless commander, surveying them with anxious countenance, gave vent to his emotion in such ejaculations as, "Dear me!" "Why didn't I see that move?" or, "The idea of your taking two men at one jump!" At last the announcement that he was completely vanquished was joyfully made by Eva, and incredulously listened to by Herbert, who viewed his sister's opponent with amazement, not unmingled with pity.
"The battle is indeed lost!" Herbert said, quoting the historic words in a consolatory way; "but there is time to win another."
"I'm afraid not," said Allan, rising and preparing to depart.
"I wish that you could have won the game, too," said Eva, suddenly stricken with remorse in the midst of her good-fortune.