My New York relatives are terribly old-fashioned. It's great
fun to give one man all the dances and watch the dado of dowagers look
disapproving." And once more she gave him the quick smile of understanding
that springs so spontaneously between youth and youth.
"Well...you might have given all those dances to me the other night,
instead of to that fellow Dwight."
"Oh, but you see, I had already promised them to him. Lady Victoria always
comes so late."
"That's true enough." His spirits rose a trifle.
"When do you go--back to England, I mean? Not for a good long time, I hope.
We have awfully good times down here. Janet Maynard and Olive Bascom live
at San Mateo in the summer, and Aileen Lawton at Burlingame. They are my
chums and we'd give you a ripping time. We'd like to have you take away the
pleasantest possible memory of California instead of such a terrible one. I
don't mean anything very gay of course. You mustn't think I'm heartless."
And she showed the lower pearl of her eyes and looked like a madonna.
"I'm afraid I must go soon. I've had an extension of leave already, and
Hofer told me just before we left to-day that he thought he could let me
have his private car inside of a week. They've been using it."
IV
There was not a dwelling in sight. The quiet of that old park with its
brooding oaks was primeval. Behind her was the pink and blue glory of sky
and mountain.
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