“Now, Antony,” she exclaimed, “you and I will dine together, and after that you shall be my escort to a concert at Saint James’s Hall.”
“A concert!” I exclaimed eagerly.
“Yes; I was about to send the tickets away, but you have come in most opportunely.”
I was delighted; for I had never heard any of our best singers, and we chatted through dinner of the music we were to hear, after which I was left in the drawing-room, to amuse myself, while Miss Carr went up to dress.
I took up a book, and began to read; but the thoughts of Linny Hallett and Mr Lister kept coming into my head, and I asked myself whether I ought not to tell Miss Carr.
No; I felt that I could not, and then I began wondering whether the engagement that had been extended might not after all come to nothing, as I hoped it would. It was horrible to me now, that John Lister should be allowed to keep up ties with my patroness, knowing what I did of his character; and yet I felt could not, I dared not, tell. At last, in the midst of my contending thoughts, some of which were for telling, some against, I forced myself into reading the book I had taken up, striving so hard to obtain the mastery over self that I succeeded—so well that I did not hear a cab stop, nor the quick step of him who had occupied so large a share of my thoughts.
“Ah, Grace,” said John Lister cavalierly, as he entered the room unannounced, completely taking me by surprise as I started up from the book. “You here again! Well, how’s engineering? Like it as well as printing, eh? Why, you are growing quite the gentleman, you lucky dog! I suppose we must shake hands now.”
I felt as if all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and a strange sensation of rage half choked me as I drew back.
“Why, what’s the matter with you, boy?” he exclaimed. “Hold out your hand.”
“I’ll not,” I exclaimed indignantly; “how dare you ask me!”