"Arabic!" exclaimed the hostess. "Mr. Glave, you have been in the East, have you?"
"Yes, he came from the East where the wise men always come from," said Miss Leigh. Then turning to me she said in an undertone, "You see what I told you."
For reply, I simply quoted on, though I had a little pang as I saw the shadow come into her eyes and the smile leave her mouth.
"My father was deaf,
And my mother was dumb,
And to keep myself company,
I beat the drum."
"I think that was a very good occupation for you," she said, turning away, with her head very high.
"Will you let me say something to you?" she said in a low tone a moment later, and, without waiting, she added:
"I think it was rather nasty in me to say what I said to you when you first came in, but you had treated me so rudely when I spoke to you on the street."
"You do not call it rude not to answer a letter when a gentleman writes to explain an unfortunate mistake, and then cut him publicly?"
"I did not receive it until afterward," she said. "I was away from town, and as to cutting you—I don't know what you are talking about."
"At the Charity Fair."