After a moment Reginald looked across the table to Colin, who had taken no part in the conversation. Knowing he was a little deaf, Reginald said to him:
“The young ladies, the Misses Burdick, Tom’s cousins, come this afternoon to Mrs. Parks’.”
“Yes, I know,” Mr. McPherson replied, and Reginald continued, hesitatingly:
“How would it do to send them some flowers from the greenhouse? I noticed a good many roses in bloom yesterday.”
“I think it a good idea,” Mr. McPherson said. “I’ll have the carriage go for them, too. The village ’bus is a miserable old rattletrap, and may not be there.”
“Thank you,” Reginald answered, and there were two red spots on either cheek, while the rest of his face was very pale, as he finished his breakfast and went out into the open air and then into the billiard-room.
“He does take it infernally hard,” Tom thought again, feeling a disposition to laugh at Reginald’s abstracted manner as he knocked the balls listlessly about, seldom hitting the mark, and apparently caring little whether he did or not.
The roses and lilies were gathered and sent and at the appointed time the McPherson carriage went to the station for the expected travellers. Reginald had asked Tom if he cared to go and meet the young ladies, and Tom answered:
“I think not. I will wait and we will call this evening.”
“Yes, certainly; I’ll call, if you think I ought,” Rex said, and Tom replied: