A moment they skated along in silence, David Hale gaining in prowess from the touch of the gloved fingers.
“Does it occur to you, Miss Bettina, this is the first opportunity I have had to exchange a word with you alone?”
Bettina laughed.
“Yes, I know, but you only arrived a short time ago and we have been having a pretty strenuous existence at Tahawus cabin for these last two days. I hope you have not been bored by being forced to be a guest at a wedding, which was as unexpected to us as to you. I want to thank you for your presence of mind this morning. Mother and Mr. Drain would have been more seriously injured except for you.”
“I was a dunce, Miss Bettina, not to have discovered sooner what was taking place almost beside me. I suppose I was too interested in the wedding ceremony. But in any case all the danger and therefore all the credit is due Allan Drain. I confess I am a little envious of his position as hero and my own as anything else. I would give a good deal to have you and your mother grateful to me. You seem altogether to have forgotten our friendship. Oh, I do not mean you are not friendly, but I believed we were more than ordinarily friendly during the months in France. I hoped when we met again that we might take things up where we left off on that enchanting afternoon in the Queen’s secret garden at Versailles. Now I see I must begin again at the beginning, but I am a persistent person and am looking forward to your return to Washington. Then you will be meeting so many people and no doubt will be a great belle, so I am afraid my opportunities for seeing you there will be limited.”
Bettina moved so slowly that the two skaters appeared to be poised like birds about to take wing for further flight.
“If I am forced to make my début in Washington next winter if you will be good to me I shall be more grateful than you realize. I know I shall be a dismal failure. Really I don’t mind for myself so much as for my mother; I am afraid she is going to be dreadfully disappointed in me, and she always has been in a fashion. It is hard when people love each other a great deal and yet have no congeniality of taste.”
“Then why not follow your friend Peggy Webster’s example and so escape the society adventure altogether?”
Bettina shook her head.
“Thanks, I don’t like to quote tiresome old axioms, but one has heard of the frying pan and the fire. Besides, one cannot follow Peggy’s example all alone. By the way, did you and Marguerite Arnot manage to have your walk together? I hope so. Isn’t Marguerite charming? I envy her exquisite manners. You know she is coming to spend next winter with us in Washington; mother has persuaded her. Sometimes I think it might be well if some witch or fairy should force Marguerite and me to change places. She could fill my place so much more gracefully, however, than I could her’s.”