He was smiling down upon her with that rare smile that somehow she knew already, though she had only seen him a moment that afternoon.
"Even if you do speak Spanish with Winthrop, you won't let him quite monopolize you, will you?" he said to her in that dangerously low, caressing tone he knew so well how to use. "I am afraid I didn't make a good impression upon you this afternoon. I was unfortunate enough to introduce some subject that did not meet with your approval altogether, and—you don't like me. Is that true?"
She flushed again angrily, seeing the smile lurking behind his magnificent eyes.
"I never presume to form opinions of strangers," she answered, haughtily; and then could have bitten her tongue for making so childish a reply.
She saw, however, at once that it had not ruffled him in the least, for he replied, lightly:
"I am so glad you are not impulsive. Young ladies usually are. If you had been, I should despair of ever winning your good-will; but as you assure me it is not so, why, I shall hope to be one of your first friends in your new home. Have you known Mrs. and Miss Chalmers long? Are they related to you?"
"Oh, no! Mrs. Chalmers and my mother were school friends. They have not met since then; but the old warm attachment was always maintained," she replied, thankful to him for showing her a way to change the subject.
He looked over her head curiously, an expression of relief, she almost thought, coming into his eyes.
"Oh," he returned, "I see."
"See what?" she asked.