'Oh, what a nice smell! Sitting in the dark, Mother?' 'I was just trying to cheer up Mr. Allport; he is very despondent.' 'Pray do not overlook me,' said Mr. Allport, rising and bowing.
'Well! I did not see you! Fancy your sitting in the twilight chatting
with the mater. You must have been an unscrupulous bore, maman.' 'On the contrary,' replied Mr. Allport, 'Mrs. MacNair has been so good
as to bear with me making a fool of myself.' 'In what way?' asked Vera sharply.
'Mr. Allport is so despondent. I think he must be in love,' said
Beatrice playfully.
'Unfortunately, I am not--or at least I am not yet aware of it,' said
Mr. Allport, bowing slightly to Vera.
She advanced and stood in the bay of the window, her skirt touching the
young man's knees. She was tall and graceful. With her hands clasped
behind her back she stood looking up at the moon, now white upon the
richly darkening sky.
'Don't look at the moon, Miss MacNair, it's all rind,' said Mr Allport
in melancholy mockery. 'Somebody's bitten all the meat out of our slice
of moon, and left us nothing but peel.' 'It certainly does look like a piece of melon-shell--one portion,'
replied Vera.
'Never mind, Miss MacNair,' he said, 'Whoever got the slice found it
raw, I think.' 'Oh, I don't know,' she said. 'But isn't it a beautiful evening? I will
just go and see if I can catch the primroses opening.' 'What primroses?' he exclaimed.
'Evening primroses--there are some.' 'Are there?' he said in surprise. Vera smiled to herself.
'Yes, come and look,' she said.
The young man rose with alacrity.
Mr Holiday came into the dining-room whilst they were down the garden.
'What, nobody in!' they heard him exclaim.
'There is Holiday,' murmured Mr Allport resentfully.
Vera did not answer. Holiday came to the open window, attracted by the
fragrance.
'Ho! that's where you are!' he cried in his nasal tenor, which annoyed
Vera's trained ear. She wished she had not been wearing a white dress to
betray herself.
'What have you got?' he asked.
'Nothing in particular,' replied Mr Allport.
Mr Holiday sniggered.
'Oh, well, if it's nothing particular and private--' said Mr Holiday,
and with that he leaped over the window-sill and went to join them.
'Curst fool!' muttered Mr Allport. 'I beg your pardon,' he added swiftly
to Vera.
'Have you ever noticed, Mr Holiday,' asked Vera, as if very friendly,
'how awfully tantalizing these flowers are? They won't open while
you're looking.' 'No,' sniggered he, I don't blame 'em. Why should they give themselves
away any more than you do? You won't open while you're watched.' He
nudged Allport facetiously with his elbow.