XII.

Alice came down to lunch in a dress which reconciled the seaside and the
drawing-room in an effect entirely satisfactory to her mother, and gave
her hand to both the gentlemen without the affectation of surprise at
seeing either.

"I saw Mr. Munt coning up from the boat," she said in answer to
Mavering's demand for some sort of astonishment from her. "I wasn't
certain that it was you."

Mrs. Pasmer, whose pretences had been all given away by this simple
confession, did not resent it, she was so much pleased with her
daughter's evident excitement at the young man's having come. Without
being conscious of it, perhaps, Alice prettily assumed the part of
hostess from the moment of their meeting, and did the honours of the
hotel with a tacit implication of knowing that he had come to see her
there. They had only met twice, but now, the third time, meeting after a
little separation, their manner toward each other was as if their
acquaintance had been making progress in the interval. She took him about
quite as if he had joined their family party, and introduced him to Miss
Anderson and to all her particular friends, for each of whom, within five
minutes after his presentation, he contrived to do some winning service.
She introduced him to her father, whom he treated with deep respect and
said "Sir" to. She showed him the bowling alley, and began to play tennis
with him.

Her mother, sitting with John Munt on the piazza, followed these polite
attentions to Mavering with humorous satisfaction, which was qualified as
they went on.