"Oh! indeed it will," cried Lance eagerly, trying to condone his offensive words. "What I meant to say was this; I felt very badly over your words at first, but since I have seen how much you regret your rashness I have ceased to consider it anything but a momentary indiscretion which I trust soon to wholly forget, when you will again be reinstated in my whole confidence and respect."
"Oh! thank you, thank you," she cried, chafing at the coldness of his words, but trying to content herself since she could extract no kinder speech from him. "Believe me, Lance, I will try to merit your confidence, and no indiscretion of mine shall wound you again."
"And we will drop that subject forever, will we not?" said he, leading her up the hotel steps and into the warm, lighted parlor.
"Forever!" she answered with a quivering sigh.
He drew forward a chair before the glowing coal fire and led her to it.
"You must feel tired and cold after your long walk," he said; "I will have something warm sent in while I inquire about the sleigh."
He went away and directly a neat serving-maid entered, bearing a tray of warm refreshments.
Mrs. Vance drank some coffee, but had no appetite for the viands, warm and delicious as they appeared, so the maid, with a courtesy took the tray and retired.
She waited some time before Lance returned. He came in looking pale and troubled.
"It is too bad," he said in a tone of vexation, "but Dabney's sleigh which I counted on confidently as being available was hired out in the earlier part of the evening to a couple of young fellows off on a lark into the country. They will not return until to-morrow evening."