“Good evening,” she said, and then hesitated.
“And how did I get here?” said Fortescue, laughing and answering the look of surprised inquiry in Betty’s eloquent face. “The greatest streak of luck that ever happened! When I got back to Rosehill, I found Major Lindsay had come to call—the kindest and most hospitable people that ever lived are in Virginia, I believe—and he invited us to come over to this party. We fairly jumped down his throat, I can tell you, we were so glad to accept.”
“And I am so glad you did,” said Betty affably.
She had never laid eyes on Fortescue until four hours before, but Betty was Southern, and a Virginian at that, and readily assumed a tone of the warmest friendship with every personable young man she met, immediately after making his acquaintance.
“And now,” continued Betty in an imploring tone, as if there were not another man within a hundred miles, “will you be kind enough to take me up to Mrs. Lindsay to speak to her?”
“Certainly,” replied Fortescue, placing her little gloved hand within his arm, and improving his opportunities as he did so.
It was not an easy matter for Betty to reach Mrs. Lindsay, standing at the other end of the hall. Betty was stopped every minute by girls speaking to her, and by young men asking dances of her. The girls called her “Betty” and the young men called her “Miss Betty,” so Fortescue promptly dropped the formal “Miss Beverley” and called her “Miss Betty,” as if he had known her for a hundred years.
Meanwhile, the first fiddle and the “lap organ,” reinforced by Uncle Cesar’s stout bow arm, were playing energetically “I’se Gwine Back to Dixie,” and Betty’s slender feet danced rather than walked up the hall. At last they were standing before Mrs. Lindsay, stout, handsome, and florid, like the Major, and receiving her guests with heartfelt hospitality like her husband. The hostess greeted Betty warmly, and, above the music and merry chatter, screamed without any punctuations whatever:
“How do you do Betty so glad to see you sorry your grandfather can’t be here tell him to rub his knees with turpentine every night. Tom’s brought four of his friends from the University and you must dance with them all so delighted to have Mr. Fortescue and the other officers from Rosehill go right into the library and get some hot biscuit and coffee you must be so cold after your drive how do you do,” etc., etc., saying the same kind things to the next arrival.