“Did you meet the pretty little American, Miss Alexander, at Lady Dunforth’s the other evening, Lillian?” inquired Sir William.
“Yes, I met her,” the girl admitted, rather ungraciously.
“Well, you would hardly class her among those whom you term coarse, would you? I thought her an unusually attractive girl.”
“No; I admit she appeared very pretty and lady-like and yet I have no doubt that she would soon betray her nationality if one was to see much of her.”
“Neither have I; and she would be proud to own it, also, I’ll wager,” Rupert observed, with some spirit.
He was out of patience with Lillian’s unreasonable prejudices, and her slighting tone in speaking of Virgie made him indignant.
She looked at him with a mocking smile on her red lips.
“When shall we have the pleasure of congratulating you upon your American conquest?” she asked, saucily.
“I shall take great pleasure in informing you when the proper time arrives,” he replied, with studied politeness, and with a seriousness that drove all color from the girl’s face and made her heart sink like lead in her bosom.
At that moment the butler entered the room with a telegram, which he presented to Sir William, and then withdrew.