Then he turned to her with some merely banal remark, and Louie, giving it all the answer it deserved, turned and left him.
That unspeakable loneliness had come upon her again.
Louie made no further attempt to talk to Mr. Jeffries. She watched another dance, heard Mr. Weston recite "The Raven," and then went to the cloakroom for her shawl. There she came upon Kitty Windus, who had found it necessary to do up her hair again.
"You surely aren't going?" Kitty exclaimed. She herself was a-tremble with flirtation and happiness. "Why, you're as bad as Mr. Jeffries! Though I will admit that even he came out of his shell for once. I shall begin to think Miriam's right soon!" She gave Louie an arch look.
Louie's opinion was that Mr. Jeffries had never been more completely concealed in his shell than he had been that even, but "Oh, has he gone?" she said indifferently.
"Yes, a few minutes ago. Isn't everything going splendidly! Why, Mr. Mackie's a host in himself!"
"Quite," said Louie, passing her shawl over her head.
"I suppose we shall see you in the morning?" said Kitty. "Everybody's coming to help to clear away."
"Very well," said Louie.
And as the piano broke into the prelude to the waltz cotillion she left.