His lordship's visits now became more frequent than at first; and Tonia received him with unvarying kindness, whether he found her alone or in her father's company. Her calm assurance was so strangely in advance of her years and position that he could but think she owed it to having mixed so little with her own sex, and thus having escaped all taint of self-consciousness or coquetry. She listened to his opinions with respect, but was not afraid to argue with him. She made no secret of her pleasure in his society, and owned to finding the afternoons or evenings vastly dull on which he did not appear.
"I should miss you still more if I had not my translating work," she said; "but that keeps me busy and amused."
"And you find that old dry-as-dust Voltaire amusing!"
"I never find him dry as dust. He is my father's favourite author."
The comedy was well received, and Thornton was made much of by Mr. Garrick and all the actors. No one was informed of Antonia's share in the work, or suspected that the handsome young woman in a yellow silk sacque had so much to do with the success of the evening. Patty Lester triumphed in her brief but effective rôle of a tomboy younger sister, an improvement on the conventional confidante, and was rapturously grateful to Mr. Thornton, and more than ever reproachful of Antonia for deserting her.
"You have taken an aversion to the Piazza," she said with an offended air.
"On my honour, no, Patty; but I have been so constantly occupied in helping my father."
"I shall scold him for making a slave of you."
"No, no, you must not. Be sure that I love you, even if I do not go to see you."
"But I am not sure. I cannot be sure. You have grown distant of late, and more of a fine lady than you was last year."