The next minute De Vere came forward gladly. By this time every one was looking, yet he was in nowise intimidated.
"Oh, Miss West, how glad I am to meet you, and looking as charming as ever, too!" in an audible aside, while his face beamed with delight. Leonora drew her hand rather hastily away.
"I am not here on equal terms, please remember that," she said, turning around and sitting down on the piano-stool. "It is my lady's orders that I shall amuse the company."
"Then I shall turn your music—may I?" he entreated.
She gave a careless assent, and looked at the great pile of music.
"Perhaps you will select something to play," she said; and seeing, without turning her head, that Lancaster had gone back to his seat by the earl's daughter.
"He is afraid she will be jealous of me," the girl said to herself, with the least little curl of her red lip.
"Can you play this?" De Vere inquired, placing a simple little song before her.
"Yes; but I do not want a song, please. Give me something by Mozart or Rossini—something brilliant. I am on exhibition, you see," saucily.
"Can you really play Mozart?" he whispered to her as he searched for the music.