The others were forgetting her in the deepening stream of chat, when she came to the fire-place. "I am chilly!" she said, and throwing one of the sofa-pillows at Alice's feet, seated herself, and leaned her elbow upon her friend's lap. She was bewitchingly lovely—Ida owned; and so may have thought Richard Copeland, who happened to enter, just as she was settled.
"Rehearsing tableaux, young ladies!" said he. "Miss Ross—Miss Alice—good evening. You play humility, I perceive, Miss Lelia."
She did not offer to rise. "Do not I become the character?" she inquired.
"The character becomes you, at any rate. How have you wiled away the day, Miss Alice?"
Her sunshiny face made him as frank as herself, when he addressed her.
"Oh!" said she. "In sleeping, reading and eating, I contrived to dispose of all but the past hour or two, of which Miss Ross has kindly relieved me."
"I can testify to her adroitness in this particular," he replied. "She did a little time-lifting for me last evening. Have you finished your official returns of 'killed, wounded and missing,' Miss Ross?"
"I suspect my bulletins would comprise most of the latter," said Ida.
"And mine!" echoed Alice.