“Will you join us? Since Nell has betrayed me, I will not deny that she has spoken the truth.”
“I shall be glad to look in now and then at Orange Grove,” he replied, courteously, without a sign of his exultation at receiving the invitation that would enable him to comply with Thea’s timid request.
The young ladies protested they would be delighted, but Mr. Cameron Bentley remained silent. He did not care to have Thea’s grave, attractive guardian at Orange Grove, lest he should spoil sport.
But in blissful unconsciousness of the young sprig’s disapprobation, Norman went out to hand them to their carriage, and to give Thea one last grave glance that somehow set her heart beating madly, so that she scarcely heard the gallantries of the young man at her side, for Thea knew quite well that there was more than the love of brother or guardian in Norman de Vere’s lingering look.
As for him, he went back to the library with the thought:
“Little coquette, she has Cameron Bentley in her toils now. Well, I shall see for myself how far she goes in her flirtations, in spite of her denials of them.”
With a frown he went back to his desk and resumed the perusal of Thea’s verses. The first one he took up had the suggestive heading:
“IN AUTUMN DAYS.
“My heart, ah! why regret
Sweet spring’s first violet