Elizabeth looked at him speechlessly; then, with a lovely
movement, came nestling against him. A minute later they drew
apart; the girl's face was quivering with light and mystery, the
young man's face was amazed. Then amazement changed to triumph,
and triumph to power, and power to something else, something that
made Elizabeth shrink and utter a little cry. In an instant he
caught her violently to him and kissed her--kissed the scar on
her upraised, fending arm, then her neck, her eyes, her mouth,
holding her so that she cried out and struggled; and as he let
her go, she burst out crying. "Oh--oh--_oh_--" she said; and
darting from him, ran up-stairs, stumbling on the unaccustomed
length of her skirt and catching at the banisters to keep from
falling. But at the head of the stairs she paused; the tears had
burned off in flashing excitement. She hesitated; it seemed as if
she would turn and come back to him. But when he made a motion to
bound up after her, she smiled and fled, and he heard the door of
Nannie's room bang and the key turn in the lock.

Blair Maitland stood looking after her; in that one hot instant
boyishness had been swept out of his face.




CHAPTER V

"They have all suddenly grown up!" Mrs. Richie said,
disconsolately. She had left the "party" early, without waiting
for her carriage, because Mrs. Maitland's impatient glances at
her desk had been an unmistakable dismissal.