'Yes, even if the present be sad.'
'I do believe, Dulcie, that tears agree with you.'
'Why?'
'Because they make those blue eyes of yours positively lovely.'
Dulcie for a moment felt pleasure. Florian had said the same thing once before, and she only half believed him; but to have it endorsed by such a girl as Finella made it valuable indeed to her.
'And Florian—I am quite au fait with his name,' said Finella; 'he is a gentleman?'
'Oh, yes—yes!' exclaimed Dulcie impetuously.
'Poor fellow! Then am I to understand that there is a kind of undefined engagement between you?'
'Something of that kind,' answered Dulcie, simply. 'We knew we might have to wait for each other for years, if, indeed, we ever meet again. We never spoke of marriage quite. How could we, hopeless and poor as we were?'
'But you spoke of love, surely?' said Finella, softly and archly.