Peter, quite unconscious that he had said anything, actually continued:
"He was voted the handsomest man of the class."

"Was he really? How nice!" said Miss Pierce.

"Yes," said Peter. "And it was true." Peter failed to notice that a
question had been asked, or that he had answered it. He began to think
that he would like to look at Miss Pierce for a moment. Miss Pierce,
during this interval, remarked to herself: "Yes. That was the right way,
Helen, my dear."

"We had quite a houseful for our party," Miss Pierce remarked, after
this self-approval. "And that reminds me that I must tell you about whom
you meet to-day." Then the next ten minutes were consumed in naming and
describing the two fashionable New York girls and their brother, who
made the party then assembled.

During this time Peter's eyes strayed from Watts's shapely back, and
took a furtive glance at Miss Pierce. He found that she was looking at
him as she talked, but for some reason it did not alarm him, as such
observation usually did. Before the guests were properly catalogued,
Peter was looking into her eyes as she rambled on, and forgot that he
was doing so.

The face that he saw was not one of any great beauty, but it was sweet,
and had a most attractive way of showing every change of mood or
thought. It responded quickly too, to outside influence. Many a girl of
more real beauty was less popular. People liked to talk to Miss Pierce,
and many could not escape from saying more than they wished, impelled
thereto by her ready sympathy. Then her eyes were really beautiful, and