'Sir Redmond Sleath was so enchanted with your drawings, Miss Ellinor,' said Lady Dunkeld, to change the subject, as woful ones were eminently distasteful to her. 'He is never weary of singing their praises.'
This was not strictly true, for the baronet had just barely mentioned the matter once, but poor Ellinor blushed with real pleasure.
'He is very good-natured,' said Miss Galloway, lest the listener might value Sir Redmond's praises too highly; 'but fastidious—oh, very fastidious. Don't you think he has handsome eyes?'
'I did not observe them.'
'Indeed! They are a lovely blue.'
'I never before heard a man's eyes called lovely,' said Mary, laughing.
'And he is such a flirt!'
'Blanche, child!' expostulated her mother.
'But he has strange ideas—people say he will never marry,' added the 'child,' who was determined that, whatever Ellinor might think, she was not to flatter herself that she had made anything approaching a conquest. 'He has been everywhere, and, of course, has seen everything.'
'And is a male flirt, you say?' said Mary, smiling.