“Because”—and she stooped over to swallow the last of her ice—“I never meddle with other people’s affairs!”
“Never?”
She looked up quickly. Neil stood before her in a close-fitting, dark blue Norfolk suit, with a curious smile upon his lips. She grew deadly pale, and her eyes dropped before his for the first time. He must have felt a little for her, for, when he spoke again, his voice trembled somewhat. As he relieved her of the empty saucer in her lap, he said:
“Ices always make me so cold. Do you think it a healthy thing to do—play tennis and eat frozen cream?”
“I don’t know,” she laughed.
And then he turned and left her.
“I won’t worry her any more,” he thought.
He did not go near her again, but wandered about in an aimless way until he came across Clovis, talking with a crowd of men. He felt too dull and out of sorts to be entertained by her then, but paused to shake hands across a table of refreshments.
“Are you coming to see the last of me?” she asked. “You know it is my third week, and we are going away then.”
“Yes, I will be there to-morrow night,” and he was gone.