“I have been badly mistaken,” Dick admitted with a smile. “Still, I know the people I’m going to like. How is it I haven’t seen you about? We’re not very far off and most of the people in the neighborhood have driven over to our camp.”
“I only came home to-night, after being away for some time.”
Dick was relieved to learn this. He did not like to think of her living at Kenwardine’s house and meeting his friends. It was scarcely half an hour since he met Clare Kenwardine, but she had, quite unconsciously he thought, strongly impressed him. In fact, he felt rather guilty about it. Since he was, in a manner, expected to marry some one else, he had no business to enjoy yielding to this stranger’s charm and to thrill at her touch.
They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Lance strolled up with his companion.
“Don’t forget the time, Dick,” he remarked as he passed. “You mustn’t let him keep you too long, Miss Kenwardine. He has an important errand to do for his colonel.”
“If you don’t mind, I won’t go just yet,” Dick said to Clare; and understood from her silence that she did not want to dismiss him.
For the first time since they were boys, he was angry with his cousin. It looked as if Lance had meant to take him away when Miss Kenwardine needed him. He was flattered to think she preferred his society to the red-faced man’s, and had used him to keep the other at a distance. Well, he would stay to the last minute and protect her from the fellow, or from anybody else.
A little later Kenwardine joined them, and Dick knew that he must go. Clare gave him her hand with a quick, grateful look that made his heart beat, and Lance met him as he went into the house.
“You’re cutting it very fine,” he said. “Come along; here’s your cap.”
“In a moment! There’s an infantry man I asked over to our camp.”