Miss Forsythe.—Oh, I beg your pardon. “Poin,” I meant to say.
Mr. Fairfax.—But why did you say “Billy”? And who is Billy? And why did you beg my pardon?
Miss Forsythe.—Billy is my pet name for Poin. You know he went to Williams, and was so fond of it I called him Billy. Almost all my friends before that were Harvard men.
Mr. Fairfax.—But why did you beg my pardon?
Miss Forsythe.—I—Mr. Fairfax, forgive me if I hurt you, but I can only explain by telling you frankly that before you came, Mrs. Selbourne cautioned me—I don’t know why—against using that name before you. She said it held associations for you—and I thought—
Mr. Fairfax.—You thought?
Miss Forsythe.—That perhaps there was some one you had loved—and lost—
Mr. Fairfax.—No; not that. I am inclined to think the associations are with some one I have loved and found. I will tell you that story some other day. Meantime, you were saying—?
VIII.
THE RECTORY DINING-ROOM.