In a kind of dream she heard the strains of the national anthem, and

saw Stafford rise with the rest of the audience, and watched him as he

drew the costly cloak round Maude Falconer's white shoulders; in a

dream allowed Joseph to draw her arm through his and lead her down the

crowded staircase into the open air.

"Splendid concert!" he said, triumphantly. "But you look tired, Ida.

We'll have a cab to the station. But let's wait a minute and see the

prince come out."

They stood in the crowd which had formed to stare at his royal

highness; and as luck would have it, Stafford, with Maude Falconer on

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his arm, and followed by Sir Stephen, passed in front of them, and so

close that Ida shrank back in terror lest Stafford should see her. Some

of the crowd, some Stock Exchange people probably, recognised Sir

Stephen, and spoke his name aloud, and a cheer arose. He bowed and

smiled and shook his head in a deprecatory way, and Ida saw Stafford's

face darken with a frown, as if he were ashamed of the publicity, as he

hurried Maude Falconer to the carriage. A moment or two after, the

prince appeared, there was an excited and enthusiastic burst of

cheering; and at last Joseph forced his way out of the crowd and found

a cab.

They had some little time to wait for the train, and Joseph, after

vainly pressing some refreshment on Ida, went into the refreshment-room

and got a drink for himself and a cup of coffee for Isabel, while Ida

sank back into a corner of the carriage and waited for them. Joseph

talked during the whole of the journey in an excited fashion, darting

glances every now and then from his small eyes at the white face in the

corner. When they got out at the station, he offered Ida his arm and

she took it half-unconsciously. The path was too narrow to permit of

three to walk abreast, and Joseph sent Isabel on in front; and on some

trivial excuse or another contrived to lag some little distance behind

her. Every now and then he pressed Ida's arm more closely to his side,

looking at her with sidelong and lingering glances, and at last he

said, in a kind of whisper, so that Isabel should not hear: "I hope you've enjoyed yourself, Ida, and that you're glad you came? I

don't know when I've had such a jolly night, and I hope we may have

many more of them. Of course you know why I'm so happy? It's because

I've got you with me. Life's been a different thing for me since you

came to live with us; but I dessay you've seen that, haven't you?" He

laughed knowingly.




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