dog is not mycousin."
Everybody laughed--even Aline Worthing. Her mother did not like it, butshe pretended to think it an excellent joke. And Mr Gresham saw withgratification that the Lermont connection had "told."
"We shall have no more bald impertinence from her," he said to himself,"but she won't love Philippa any the better for having been the indirectcause of a snub. I had a presentiment that these people's coming wouldsomehow or other spoil the day. Even that madwoman of a maid of theirsdaring to think of accosting Miss Raynsworth in that extraordinary way!"and his face darkened with annoyance as he recalled the incident whichsomehow still hovered uncomfortably about his memory.
Maida Lermont, ever alert and ever kind, noticed the touch of constraintin the air.
"What about the dog, Mr Gresham?" she said, brightly, "the dog whom youwill not acknowledge as a member of your family? I should like to hearmore about him--dogs always interest me, and I know few whoserelationship _I_ should not consider an honour. Is your cousin's dogspecially ugly or evil-minded or vulgar?"
"Vulgar," ejaculated Aline Worthing; "how funny you are, Miss Lermont!Who ever heard of a _dog_ being vulgar?"
Philippa's eyes gleamed and she opened her lips impulsively as if aboutto say something. How she longed to "speak up" for dear Solomon!
Mr Gresham ignored Miss Worthing's remark.
"Ugly," he repeated, meditatively. "Yes, his ugliness is his beauty. Idon't mind that. He, the animal in question, Solomon by name, is athorough-bred dachshund. `Evil-minded or vulgar'--no, Solomon must beacquitted of those charges. And to begin with, I never said I shouldnot consider it an honour to be his blood-relation, if you remember. Ionly stated the fact--that I was _not_ his cousin."
He looked up lazily, and again everybody laughed. And Mrs Worthing,whose good-humour had returned by this time, proceeded to amuse them allby various anecdotes illustrative of the eccentricity of the dachs andhis master.
"They are quite inseparable," she added. "Last year at Wyverston younever saw one without the other. We used to meet them coming home fromlong rambles over the moors, the dog generally a few paces in front ofthe man, both looking so solemn and--so ugly."
"Mrs Worthing," said Mr Gresham, drily, "you must pardon my remindingyou that the animal's master is my cousin."
No one was quite sure if he was annoyed or not, but Mrs Worthinglaughed. She was not without some gift of repartee.
"Then," she said, "you must allow _me_ to remark that the familylikeness is not striking."
And Philippa fancied that the implied compliment was not altogetherdistasteful to her host.
Aline Worthing was sitting hear her. From time to time she had madefeeble efforts to catch Miss Raynsworth's attention--there was somethingabout Philippa which attracted the weaker girl--but hitherto withoutsuccess. She now tried again.
"Do _you_ think Mr Michael Gresham so very ugly?" she said, in a lowvoice. "Mamma is always saying so. I don't think I do--there issomething rather nice about his face. But, oh,"--as she caught sight ofthe astonishment, which an acuter observer might have described as notunmingled with alarm on her hearer's face--"I forgot, you were not atWyverston. I suppose you don't know the other Mr Gresham?"
"It was my sister who was staying there last year," said Philippa,evasively.
"Yes, I know. Mrs Marmaduke Headfort. She is very pretty, though notthe least like you," said the girl, simply, her thoughts alreadydiverted from the consideration of Michael's personal appearance; "Butit is so odd," she continued, "I have such a feeling that I have seenyou before. And to-day, as soon as that visit to Wyverston was spokenof, I seemed to have seen you there. I suppose it is through knowingthat Evelyn Headfort--she let me call her Evelyn--is your sister."
"Perhaps so," said Philippa. Then anxious at all costs to set thistroublesome little person's little mind at rest, she went on. "PerhapsEvelyn spoke about me to you. She is rather fond of doing so."
"Yes, I daresay it was that," said Aline. "She did talk about you. Iremember somebody said that she and I might be taken for sisters, andthat made her say that her sister and she were not at all alike."
"Oh, Evey," thought Philippa, "rash is no word for you!" But aloud shesaid kindly, for something in the childish creature touched her: "Yes,you are both so fair, and your hair and eyes are just about the samecolour."
Aline smiled with pleasure. And there was no flattery in what Philippahad said. She was certainly a very pretty little thing, though withouta touch of Evelyn's charm of mind and originality.
And for the rest of the day she attached herself so steadily to MissRaynsworth that Mr Gresham wished more devoutly than ever that he hadrestricted his party to its original limits.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
A TORN FRILL.
The ball to which allusion has already been made, as the one gaiety ofits kind that proved attainable for Philippa Raynsworth during her visitto Cannes, though a private one, was given at a hotel. And that hotelwas the temporary residence of Mrs and Miss Worthing.
It came about, therefore, naturally enough that they were among theguests, though they had not previously been acquainted with the giversof the dance. For kind Lady Mary Bertram thought it would be "too bad"for a young creature like Aline Worthing to be actually on the spot,listening to the inspiring strains, which would probably prevent hergoing to sleep, without taking part in the entertainment. So shearranged that there should be an introduction, followed by a card ofinvitation.
Philippa had heard of the circumstance, but without paying specialattention to it. The evening was not destined, however, to pass withouther having reason to wish more fervently even than heretofore that themother and daughter had selected some other route for their journey homefrom Italy, than that which had brought them to their presenthalting-place.
She had looked forward to the ball with considerable interest and a fairamount of girlish excitement, which Miss Lermont was glad to see. Itwas only natural and right that Philippa should enjoy herself and shouldwish to do so. And this dance was almost a debut for her. In theRaynsworths' very quiet life, occasions of the kind were rare, and sincePhilippa had been really grown-up, for various local reasons theneighbourhood of Greenleaves had been peculiarly dull.
Maida herself superintended her cousin's toilet, and the result fullyrewarded her. Philippa had never looked better, and her total absenceof self-consciousness greatly added to the charm of her appearance. Shewas frankly pleased with her dress, and delighted that her kind friendsapproved of the whole effect, and then she thought no more about it.
"Of course I do not expect to dance very much," she said to Maida, "andI hope Lady Mary will not trouble herself about partners for me. It isnot as if we had been here all the winter and knew everybody there is toknow; it is not even as if we lived in the `world' at home, like theWorthings. Miss Worthing says they have found ever so many old friendsand acquaintances here. But I shall enjoy it quite as much if I dancevery little; it will be all so new to me, you see."
She did not allow, even to her inmost self, that the knowledge of MrGresham's presence, the certainty that he would not suffer the eveningto pass without spending as much of it as good taste would permit by herside, had something to do with this foreseeing philosophy of hers. AndMiss Lermont was the very last person to hint at such a thing.
"I daresay you will have quite as much dancing as you care about, dear,"she said, quietly, "I am sure you dance well; you have the look of it,and your partners will find that out quickly. Besides," with a smile,"you must allow something for the charm of novelty. Those other girlswho have been here all the winter have not _that_ advantage over you."
Philippa laughed.
"There will be the charm of novelty for me, assuredly," she said.
And then, as the Bertrams' carriage was announced, she kissed her cousinaffectionately, promising to relate all her adventures in full the nextmorning.
"I am sure she will enjoy herself," said Maida
to Mr Raynsworth, as hecame back from putting his daughter into the carriage.
"I have no doubt of it," he said. "In fact she has enjoyed everythinghere. And it is all greatly due to you, Maida. I have never seenPhilippa so bright and light-hearted in her life. And I am mostthankful for it. She deserves to be happy."
"Yes," Miss Lermont agreed, warmly. "She does indeed."
And Philippa did "enjoy herself." To her the whole scene was almost oneof enchantment, and she threw herself into it with no misgiving.Personally, though in her inexperience she did not realise this, she wasa great success, and she had certainly no reason to test the
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