"Oh, fancy, Beauty; we are going to have a visitor--a young man, too! a
friend of Dr. Belton's in Australia; he is travelling about somewhere,
and will come here to-morrow. Won't it be jolly? He writes to say he
is bringing a note of introduction from Dr. Belton, who wished him to
call and give us a personal account of him. I don't tell you, Mifanwy,
anything about it, because you are quite above these things; but Winnie
and I are looking forward to see Cecil's black looks when the stranger
falls in love with Beauty, which he will do, of course!"
"When you stop to take breath I will ask a question," said the more
sober Mifanwy. "What is the young man's name?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Gwen. "Papa stuffed the letter in his pocket,
and he has driven off to Radnor, and won't be back till dinner
to-morrow evening. Probably he will drive the young man with him from
the station. Larks, isn't it? I hope he will be a good tennis player."
And she waltzed down the verandah as she went.
"What a girl!" said Mifanwy.
Valmai smiled pensively. The word "Australia" had wakened sad
memories, which had to be controlled and driven back at once.
"Let us go in; it is getting late for you," she said.
And they passed through a French window into the unlighted drawing-room.
The next evening Colonel Meredith returned, and, as Gwen had foretold,
brought with him the expected visitor. The girl ran excitedly into
Valmai's room.
"He is awfully handsome, dear. I have just taken a peep at him through
the hall window as he alighted. He'll be seated opposite to you at
dinner, but next to me, and I mean to make the best of my
opportunity. You'll see how charming I can be in spite of my plain
face."
And off she went, singing as usual, to return in another moment and ask: "What dress are you going to wear, Beauty? That soft white cashmere?
Oh, you look sweet in that, but I bet you a button that I'll cut you
out to-night."
As Valmai sat down at the dinner-table she was conscious that the
stranger sat opposite to her, and, looking across at him, met the eyes
of Cardo Wynne!
A sharp spasm darted through her heart, for at the moment in which she
had met his gaze she had seen his look averted from her; and the
long-cherished hopes of months and faith in his constancy, held to
through so many discouraging circumstances, gave way at a glance, for
well she knew that Cardo had recognised her, and at the same moment had
avoided her eyes, and had turned to make a remark to his neighbour
Gwen. She bent her head over some trifling adjustment of her
waistband, while the hot flush of wounded love and pride rose to her
face, to give place to a deathly pallor as she realised that this was
the outcome of all her hopes and longings.