“Are you awfully mad with me, Usk?”
It would be brutal to say that he was, and moreover, Usk was conscious that his anger seemed to have melted away. It was impossible to cherish it in the presence of those speaking eyes, that caressing hand.
“Oh, Fay, Fay!” he cried, catching her in his arms. “I knew it was all right really. I knew you didn’t mean to be so horribly unkind.”
“Unkind? to you? Oh, Usk!” Félicia dropped her head on his shoulder for an instant, then raised it hastily and felt surreptitiously at her hair.
“Well, you were, you know. It nearly broke my heart this morning when I saw you hadn’t told Mrs van Zyl that we were engaged.”
“But I did tell her, Usk, only she’s real mad about it. They all beg and entreat me not to make it public just yet on account of the claim. Sadie is ready to swear that the Emperor won’t ever entertain it if he thinks I’m provided for now. The only chance is to have myself appear as a wealthy heiress entirely at my own disposal.”
“And so you throw me over to deceive your father’s people?”
“I don’t throw you over. I just ask you to wait and not announce our engagement for the present. That can’t hurt you, any way.”
“It does hurt me very much to see you encouraging King Michael.”
“Encouraging him? because Sadie and I went for a ride on his automobile? You get one, and we’ll come with you.”