The hidden one stole forth. A book on a table was totally engaging the eyes of her hostess and at the instant grandma reëntered laden with roses. Now all five were in, and Anna, pouring out words with every motion, and curiously eyed by Constance, took the flowers to give them a handier form, while Flora rallied her kinswoman on wasting their friends' morning these busy times, and no one inquired, and no one told, who had been here that now had vanished.
XXI
CONSTANCE CROSS-EXAMINES
It was like turning to the light the several facets of one of those old-fashioned jewels Flora was privately bearing away, to see the five beauties part company: "Good-by, good-by," kiss, kiss--ah, the sad waste of it!--kiss left, kiss right, "good-by."
As the Callenders came in again from the veranda, their theme was Flora. "Yet who," asked Constance, "ever heard her utter a moral sentiment?"
"Oh, her beauty does that," rejoined the kindly Miranda. "As Captain Kincaid said that evening he--"
"Yes, I know. He said he would pass her into heaven on her face, and I think it was a very strange thing for him to say!"
"Why?" daringly asked Miranda--and ran from the room.