could see how she wished that she hadn't so taken me up. She turned it
off with a laugh. "I've good eyes, good teeth, a good digestion and a
good temper. I'm sound of wind and limb!" Nothing could have been more
characteristic than her blush and her tears, nothing less acceptable to
her than to be thought not perfect in every particular. She couldn't
submit to the imputation of a flaw. I expressed my delight in what she
told me, assuring her I should always do battle for her; and as if to
rejoin her companions she got up from her place on my mother's toes. The
young men presented their backs to us; they were leaning on the rail of
the cliff. Our incident had produced a certain awkwardness, and while I
was thinking of what next to say she exclaimed irrelevantly: "Don't you
know? He'll be Lord Considine." At that moment the youth marked for
this high destiny turned round, and she spoke to my mother. "I'll
introduce him to you--he's awfully nice." She beckoned and invited him
with her parasol; the movement struck me as taking everything for
granted. I had heard of Lord Considine and if I had not been able to
place Lord Iffield it was because I didn't know the name of his eldest
son. The young man took no notice of Miss Saunt's appeal; he only stared
a moment and then on her repeating it quietly turned his back. She was
an odd creature: she didn't blush at this; she only said to my mother
apologetically, but with the frankest sweetest amusement, "You don't
mind, do you? He's a monster of shyness!" It was as if she were sorry
for every one--for Lord Iffield, the victim of a complaint so painful,
and for my mother, the subject of a certain slight. "I'm sure I don't
want him!" said my mother, but Flora added some promise of how she would
handle him for his rudeness. She would clearly never explain anything by
any failure of her own appeal. There rolled over me while she took leave
of us and floated back to her friends a wave of superstitious dread. I
seemed somehow to see her go forth to her fate, and yet what should fill
out this orb of a high destiny if not such beauty and such joy? I had a