"Have you quite settled down after your holiday?" she asked, staying the apologies I was for pouring into her ear.
"I had until this evening, but the sight of your father is like a breath of fiord air. I hope your sisters are well."
"My sisters?" she murmured wonderingly, her fork half-way to her pretty mouth and her attitude one of questioning.
"Yes," I said, rather puzzled. "You know they were with your father when I had the good fortune to meet him. Miss Clare and Bab."
She dropped her fork on the plate with a great clatter.
"Perhaps I should say Miss Clare and Miss Bab."
I really began to feel uncomfortable. Her colour rose, and she looked me in the face in an odd way as if she resented the inquiry. It was a relief to me, when, with some show of confusion, she faltered, "Oh, yes, I beg your pardon, of course they were! How very foolish of me. They are quite well, thank you," and so was silent again. But I understood now. Mr. Guest had omitted to mention my name, and she had taken me for some one else of whose holiday she knew. I gathered from the aspect of the table and the room that the Guests saw much company, and it was a very natural mistake, though by the grave look she bent upon her plate it was clear that the young hostess was taking herself to task for it: not without, if I might judge from the lurking smile at the corners of her mouth, a humorous sense of the slip, and perhaps of the difference between myself and the gentleman whose part I had been unwittingly supporting. Meanwhile I had a chance of looking at her unchecked; and thought of Dresden china, she was so dainty.
"You were nearly drowned, or something of the kind, were you not?" she asked, after an interval during which we had both talked to others.
"Well, not precisely. Your sister fancied I was in danger, and behaved in the pluckiest manner--so bravely that I can almost feel sorry that the danger was not real to dignify her heroism."
"That was like her," she answered in a tone just a little scornful. "You must have thought her a terrible tom-boy."