April Hopes

aying anything; and the younger took in due form

er, Mr.

aughed nervously, and pulled out his handkerchief, partly to hide the play of his laughter, and partly to wipe away the perspiration which a great deal more laughing had already gathered on his forehead. He had a vein that showed prominently down its centre, and large, mobile, girlish blue eyes under good brows, an arch

Mavering; and you've robbed me of the pleasure

nt of the father's not having told her he had a son there; but she answered with the flattering sympathy she had the use

th another laugh. "I told

I was here? Was there ever anything so droll?" She did not mean her questions to be answered, or at least not then; for, while her daughter continued to smile rather more absently, and young Mavering broke out continuously in his nervous laugh, and his father stood regarding him with visible satisfaction, she hummed on, turning to the young man: "But I'm quite appalled at Alice's having mono

ghed at this, and the young fellow hurried on: "Don't be alarmed at my button; it only means a love of personal decoration, if that's where you got the notion of my being an official Senior. This isn't my spread; I shall hope to welcome you at Beck Hall after

ure described that fine lateral curve which one sees in some Louis Quinze portraits; this effect was enhanced by the fashion of her dress of pale sage green, with a wide stripe or sash of white dropping down the front, from her delicate waist. The same simple combination of colours was carried up into her

, "about letting you take so much trouble," so smoothly that it would hav

smer," pleaded the young man. "I thought it

hat we were expecting to meet some friends who had tickets for us

something drea

" she delayed further.

about an hour ago-both of them. T

e welcome, not to feel that his introduction was hardly a warrant for what looked like an impending intimacy. She did not dislike Mr. Mavering; he was evidently a country person of great self-respect, and no doubt of entire respectability. He seemed very intelligent, too. He was a Harvard man; he had rather a cultivated manner, or else naturally a clever way of saying things. But all that was really nothing, if she knew no more about him, and she certainly did not. If she could only have asked her daughter who it was that presented young Mavering to her, that might have formed some clew, but there was no earthly chance of asking this, and, besides, it was probably one of those haphazar

the girl, smiling

Why, of course, Alice. But I really don't know what to do about the Saintsburys." This was not in t

al unsuspicion that both won and reassured her, "we'll be sure to find th

her reluctance, but feeling it fail, with a sensation that was not disagreeable. She

inute," he said, and he took a gay leave of them in running