Andrew heard a sound behind him, and turning from the fire he saw a girl coming down the stairs. She stood out against the dark-paneled walls, for her pale green dress caught the light and shimmered. It went well with her auburn hair, emphasizing the pure white and pink of her skin; and it matched her eyes, which had the changing color of the sea. The immature grace Andrew had known had gone; there was something of distinction in her carriage.
While he gazed at her, she came toward him with a frank smile of pleasure.
"It's very nice to have you back," she said. "I couldn't get home until a few minutes after you arrived. Roy lost a shoe as I was driving up the Lockerbie road."
Andrew took her hand and held it for a moment, but the only remark he could think of was:
"You have Roy yet?"
Elsie laughed as if she understood, and rather liked, his embarrassment.
"Oh, yes. He's still going strong, and when Kevan re-shod him he brought me home in record time. But you're very brown and looking well."
"It's good to be back at Appleyard," he said quietly.
"You're still very fond of it? So am I, though that may seem curious, because I'm really an outsider."
"That applies to me more than to you, because the old place would never be the same without you."