'Too romantic perhaps to be either a sensible or a practical proceeding,' said Mrs. Trelawney, her slender fingers contrasting in their whiteness with the deep crimson of her claret glass; 'but there is only one thing else better than marrying young.'
'And that is——'
'To die young, Captain Dalton!' she said, laughingly, yet with a curious flash in her soft hazel eyes.
'Like those whom the gods love?'
'Yes.'
Dalton knew not what to make of these strange speeches, but after a time he began to see that she was rather given to indulging in wild and even bitter ones, yet all said laughingly; and he rapidly began to regard her as a species of beautiful enigma.
To Alison it became apparent that a sudden change had come over her friend Laura at the first sight of Captain Dalton; she had grown pale and silent, and even distrait—so much so that Alison had whispered to her,
'Does he remind you of anyone?'
'Yes,' she had replied.
'Of whom?'