"Hannah and I were out picking them, when Mr. Dudley came," said Gertrude with an arch glance in his direction. "I remembered how fond you used to be of berries."
"We don't often see such cream at our College ordinaire," suggested Paul, pouring the thick, new luxury over his fruit.
"If you wish to get into Miss Goldby's good graces, praise her Alderney's," remarked Ned, laughing. "But seriously Hannah, I must arrange somehow to board at home, when I take an office in New York."
"I thought that would be a matter of course," urged Gerty seriously. "I've been anticipating the pleasure of driving to the landing every afternoon to meet you."
"Ah, Wallingford! you're the luckiest fellow I know," cried his friend with a shrug at his own fate. "Here you will be, in the midst of luxuries, with a lady to greet you on your return from business; with a well ordered household and an estate exactly to your taste; while I must delve among musty old law papers twenty hours out of the twenty-four, in order to have butter with my bread."
"There is no food tastes so sweet as that we have worked for," remarked Hannah sagely; "but Gertrude do you notice how late it is, only ten minutes of seven."
The young girl blushed, as she hurriedly rose from the table, and only saying; "Good night, Ned, good night Mr. Dudley," put on the hat Paul had seen lying on the marble slab, and went out by the front door.
Both the young men started to accompany her; but Hannah said decidedly, "She prefers to walk alone, and Hiram will go for her at nine."
"I protest," began Paul; but Ned interrupted him by asking gravely:
"Where does she go at this hour?"