his coat, fixed her eyes upon him, and said suspiciously. "Why did
you keep me from going in the company-room? Why did you bring me
in here?"

Blossom senior was staggered for a moment. "Because, you know, the
count--"

"And you were afraid the count should know I had a sweetheart?
Well, I'll go in and tell him now," she said, marching toward the
door.

"Then, why did you not tell him when you slipped out an hour ago?
eh, lass?" queried the old man, grasping her hand. "But 'tis all
one, Thankful: 'twas not for him I stopped you. There is a young
spark with him,--ay, came even as you left, lass,--a likely young
gallant; and he and the count are jabbering away in their own
lingo, a kind of Italian, belike; eh, Thankful?"

"I know not," she said thoughtfully. "Which way came the other?"
In fact, a fear that this young stranger might have witnessed the
captain's embrace began to creep over her.

"From town, my lass."

Thankful turned to her father as if she had been waiting a reply to
a long-asked question: "Well?"

"Were it not well to put on a few furbelows and a tucker?" queried
the old man. "'Tis a gallant young spark; none of your country
folk."