“Arthur,” said Rose, as they were all sitting together a day or two after, “you have forgotten to tell us about the party.”
“You have forgotten to ask me, you mean. You have been so taken up with your new hero that I have had few of your thoughts.”
Mr Ruthven smiled at Rose from the other side of the table.
“Well, tell us about it now,” said she. “You must have enjoyed it better than you expected, for more than one of the ‘small-hours’ had struck before you came home.”
“Oh, yes, I enjoyed it very well. I met young Storey, who has just returned from Europe. I enjoyed his talk very much. And then Mrs Gridley took me under her protection. She is a clever woman, and handsome, too.”
“Handsome!” echoed Rose. “Why she is an old woman, with grown-up daughters. And if you were to see her by daylight!”
They all laughed.
“Well, that might make a difference. But she says very clever, or maybe very sharp things about her neighbours, and the time passed quickly till supper. It was rather late but I could not leave before supper—the event of the evening.”
“I should think not,” said Harry.
“Well, we won’t ask about the supper, lest it might make Harry discontented with his own. And what happened after supper?”