"It's only—" said Christina, slowly, "that I'm afraid."
"Christina! I do wish you would drop that ridiculous pose. No horrible fate has overtaken me!"
"Ah, mother," said the girl, touching her mother's shoulder, "perhaps because we were both born, you and I, under the same ban!"
"My dear!" cried Mrs. Hope, as if Christina had mentioned something indecent. "I hope you won't pay any attention to her, Mr. Herrick."
"I certainly shan't. I shall be too glad to get those seats."
"Ah, now you're a dear! You'll see Christina at her best, and I'm going to say that that's something to see. It's a magnificent part and Mr. Wheeler has been so wonderful in rehearsing her in it. Christina doesn't find him at all intimidating or brutal, as people say. Though, of course, he's a very profane man."
"I love every bone in his body," Christina said.
"My child! I wish you wouldn't speak so immoderately!"
"I'm an immoderate person," the girl replied. She rose, and pointing out of the window she said to Herrick—"You sat here? It was there, on that shade?"
"Yes."