This roused Mr. Graham, who said he was only waiting for his son to start, adding, that “he could not find it in his heart to tear him away from two so agreeable ladies, for he well remembered the weakness of his own youth.”
“In your second youth, now, I fancy,” thought Durward, watching him as he bade ’Lena and Mabel goodbye, and not failing to see how much longer he held the hand of the former than he did of the latter.
“Does she see as I do, or not?” thought he, as he took the hand his father dropped, and looked earnestly into the clear, brown eyes, which returned his inquiring glance with one open and innocent as a little child.
“All right here,” again thought Durward, slightly pressing the soft, warm hand he held in his own, and smiling down upon her when he saw how quickly that pressure brought the tell-tale blood to her cheek.
* * * * *
“Durward,” said Mr. Graham, after they were out of the city, “I have a request to make of you.”
“Well.”
The answer was very short and it was several minutes ere Mr. Graham again spoke.
“You know your mother as well as I do——”
“Well.”