The music had gone to the pace of Mrs. Henty's reverie until Polly called. Then Mrs. Henty splashed out her chords and marked her rhythm more briskly.
After all, Mrs. Henty concluded, if Arthur and Phyllis had taken a fancy to each, other—at last—and were getting on, she could not afford to espouse the other girl's cause. What good would it do? She wanted Arthur to marry Phyllis. His father did. Phyllis was the only daughter of old Chelmsford, of Yuina Yuina, whose cattle sales were the envy of pastoralists on both sides of the Queensland border. Phyllis's inheritance and the knowledge that the interests of Warria were allied to those of Andrew Chelmsford of Yuina, would ensure a new lease of hope and opportunity for Warria.... Whereas it would be worse than awful if Arthur contemplated anything like marriage with this girl from the Ridge.
Mrs. Henty's conscience was uneasy all the same. When the dance was ended, she called Arthur to her.
"For goodness' sake, dear, ask that child to dance with you," she said when he came to her. "She's been sitting here all the evening by herself."
"I was just going to," Sophie heard Arthur say.
He came towards her.
"Will you have the next dance with me, Sophie?" he asked.
She did not look at him.
"No," she said.
"Oh, I say——" He sat down beside her. "I've had to dance with these people who are staying with us," he added awkwardly.