The Major turned his eyes round amazedly on Miss Letty.
“‘A delightful evening!’ She cannot have heard——”
The door-bell rang, and to the two elderly people who were in such suspense, its peal seemed to waken loud and discordant echoes through the house, suggestive of everything horrible. Another minute, and Violet entered—looking no longer merely pretty, but radiantly beautiful. Her eyes were dark and brilliant,—her cheeks were flushed,—she held her little head up like a queen, and her light step as she advanced was almost regal in its pride and grace.
“Uncle Desmond!” she exclaimed, smiling—“You here!”
The Major instinctively scrambled out of his chair and reverentially stared at the dazzling creature who seemed to be suddenly transformed from a mere slip of a girl into an exquisite woman.
“Yes—I am here!” he stammered.
Violet loosened her cloak, threw it aside, and put her arms round his neck and kissed him, still smiling into his eyes with such a straight sweet look that he was quite bewildered. Then she dropped on her knees by Miss Letty’s chair, and raised her fair young face to the equally fair old one bending so anxiously over her.
“Darling Miss Letty!” she said. “Why did you sit up for me? You must be tired! My own Miss Letty! And Uncle Desmond coming here so late too!”
They glanced at one another, silent and sorely puzzled. Did she know? Or did she not know? What was it that made her so unusually royal and proud in her bearing? Still kneeling by Miss Letty, she looked up at the perplexed Major with that new and wonderful brilliancy in her eyes which seemed to be the reflection of a strong soul-flame within, and said,—
“Dearest uncle! Don’t be unhappy about me! I know what brought you here to-night—I know everything!”