"Second fiddle! Come away and we'll talk of Margaret, since that's all
you come for."

"And isn't she worth coming for? Did you ever in all your life see
anything more wonderful than Margaret Brandt?"

And she looked at him for half a minute with a twinkle in the shrewd
old eyes, which had surely seen many strange and wonderful things
since the first wonders passed and gave place to the common things of
life. Beautiful eyes they were still,--of a very tender brown, and
shining always with kindly feeling and deepest interest in the person
she was talking to.

I do not know how it may be with you, but, personally, I detest people
whose eyes and thoughts go wandering away over your left shoulder
while you are talking with them. It may be, of course, that you are
not much of a talker and are simply boring them, but, all the same,
mental squinters are not to my liking.

But Lady Elspeth was never bored--visibly, at all events, and while
you talked with her you were the one person in the world in whom she
was interested.

Margaret's eyes had something of the same in them, but they were very
deep blue, and there was in them just that touch of maidenly reserve
which best becomes a maiden's eyes, until, to one at all events, she
may lay it aside and let her heart shine through.

Lady Elspeth looked at him, then, for half a minute, with a starry