But this must end some time, perhaps it ended very soon, and only seemed long, as a minute’s dream does. Stephen at last sat upright sideways in his chair, leaning one hand and arm over the back and looking at Maggie. What should he say?
“We shall have a splendid sunset, I think; sha’n’t you go out and see it?”
“I don’t know,” said Maggie. Then courageously raising her eyes and looking out of the window, “if I’m not playing cribbage with my uncle.”
A pause; during which Minny is stroked again, but has sufficient insight not to be grateful for it, to growl rather.
“Do you like sitting alone?”
A rather arch look came over Maggie’s face, and, just glancing at Stephen, she said, “Would it be quite civil to say ‘yes’?”
“It was rather a dangerous question for an intruder to ask,” said Stephen, delighted with that glance, and getting determined to stay for another. “But you will have more than half an hour to yourself after I am gone,” he added, taking out his watch. “I know Mr Deane never comes in till half-past seven.”
Another pause, during which Maggie looked steadily out of the window, till by a great effort she moved her head to look down at Minny’s back again, and said,—
“I wish Lucy had not been obliged to go out. We lose our music.”
“We shall have a new voice to-morrow night,” said Stephen. “Will you tell your cousin that our friend Philip Wakem is come back? I saw him as I went home.”