"Come along. Don't let yourself get thoroughly tired, or you'll not want to come again. Besides, models sometimes faint if they have to go on posing after they are tired out. You ask Miss Stornway if you don't believe me."
Evarne corroborated Pallister's assertion, though in her heart she did not think there was much danger of Maudie collapsing yet awhile. Nevertheless the girl gladly descended from the throne, and almost instantly her glance fell upon the diamond ring sparkling upon Evarne's hand.
There seems something particularly attractive to "Sweet Seventeen" about engagement rings.
"Oh, Miss Stornway," she cried, "do let me look at your ring. What a perfect beauty!"
Evarne was pleased by this admiration.
"You ought to see it in the sunshine," she declared. "It is too lovely for words then."
She rose from the divan, and crossed over towards the window. Standing in the full flood of golden August sunlight, she held out her hand for Maudie's continued inspection. For a time she too revelled in the rainbow-hued scintillations of the diamonds, but after a few moments her glance strayed casually down the street. Immediately she broke in upon the girl's rapturous comments with a strangled little cry of mingled dismay and surprise.
"What is it?" demanded Geoff, rising quickly to his feet.
Maudie gazed wonderingly out of the window. Suddenly she too uttered an exclamation, then drew sharply back behind the curtains as she announced in excited tones—
"Why, there's Lord Winborough coming down the road. He's making straight for here. I know he's coming up. Oh, my word, now what shall I do?"