Verne, his
eye resting with fond admiration upon his daughter.
Children are oftentimes _de trop_, and Charlie Verne proved no
exception.
"Papa, I was one day with Madge, and she had two big red spots on
her cheeks as big peonies."
The precocious youth was on the eve of explanation, when Mrs.
Verne's--"Children should be seen and not heard" put an end to the
subject.
It were well for Marguerite that her elder sister did not grace the
festive board that evening. Evelyn's keen and penetrative eye would
have taken in the situation at a glance. The light in the soft,
deep, violet eyes would tell the tale that the maiden would strive
to conceal; and the bright flush, heightened by fond anticipation,
would have accomplished its deadly work.
But Marguerite was granted further respite.
She gave Phillip Lawson a quiet reception, and much to the relief of
the latter, they were allowed to chat at their ease the greater part
of the evening, uninterrupted by a guest.
Mr. Verne, having returned from one of those Board of Trade
meetings, on hearing that Mr. Lawson was in the drawing-room,
immediately made his appearance, and from his warm greeting, one
might see that the young lawyer stood high in his favor, and that
his prospects were indeed fair as any suitor might wish for.
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