"I am honoured," she said, and glanced at her father, then down again at the floor.
"And I am grateful, Miss Hilton," smiled Lord Lyndwood, "that I have your consent—for it is a consent, is it not?"
"Yes, my lord," then she moved suddenly away from him. "Sir," she addressed her father, "will you permit me to retire?"
The eyes of the two men met for a second across her shrinking presence.
Miss Hilton had not come more than a few paces from the door; and now she retreated towards it, with lowered eyes.
"When may I wait on you, madam?" asked the Earl. "You must send me your command."
Again she looked towards her father, who was regarding her with a mixture of shame and pride extraordinary to see.
"Ask my father, sir," she answered, and showed such a piteous desire to be gone that he could not but open the door for her.
Mr. Hilton strode up and down the lengthening patch of sunlight.