"I need only one thing, you say;—but what if it's the thing I haven't got?"
"Get it!" she replied lightly. "But your defiance in the convention wasn't worthy of you; it was only a piece of bravado. You don't deserve to be abused for that,—just scolded a little. That's why I laughed at you that afternoon; I'm going to laugh at you now!"
The music had ceased again and Allen and Marian flashed out upon them in the highest spirits.
"Well, I like this!" cried Marian. "What are you two talking so long about? Oh, I saw you through three dances at least!"
"Miss Garrison has been laughing at me," said Bassett, smiling at his daughter. "She doesn't take me at all seriously—or too seriously: I don't know which!"
"How could she take you seriously!" demanded Marian. "I never do! Sylvia, where on earth is our little Daniel? It's nearly time for the cotillion. And if Dan Harwood doesn't show up for that I'll never forgive him in this world."
"The cotillion?" repeated Bassett, glancing at his watch. "Hasn't Dan got here yet? He had a committee meeting to-night, but it ought to have been over before now."
Sylvia noted that the serious look came into his eyes again for an instant.
"He oughtn't to have had a committe meeting on the night of my party. And it's a holiday too."
"And after all the rehearsing we've done at Aunt Sally's the cherry-tree figure absolutely has to have him," said Allen. "Maybe I'd better send a scout to look him up or run over to the State House myself."