'
'I don't suppose he will notice it,' Henrietta murmured. She felt
grateful for her aunt's forgetfulness, and she said, with an
enthusiasm she had not shown for a long time, 'You look lovely to-day,
Aunt Rose, as if something nice had happened.'
Rose laughed and said, 'Nonsense, Henrietta,' in a manner faintly
reminiscent of Caroline. And she added quickly, against the invasion
of her own thoughts, 'And as for Charles, he notices much more than
one would think.'
'Oh, I've found that out,' Henrietta grieved. 'I don't think people
ought to notice--well, that one's nose turns up.'
'It depends how it does it. Yours is very satisfactory.'
They sparkled at each other, pleased at the ease of their intercourse
and quite unaware that these personalities also were reminiscent of
the Caroline and Sophia tradition of compliment.
Sophia, drooping over the table, said vaguely, 'Yes, very
satisfactory,' but she hardly knew to what Rose had referred. She
lived in her own memories, but she tried to disguise her distraction
and it was always safe to agree with Rose: she had good judgment,
unfailing taste. 'Rose,' she said more brightly, 'I'd forgotten. Susan
tells me that Francis Sales has come home.'
Rose said 'Yes,' and after the slightest pause, she added, 'I saw him
this morning.' She did not look at Henrietta. She felt with something
like despair that this had occurred at the very moment when they
seemed to be re-establishing their friendship, and now Henrietta would
be reminded of the unhappy past.
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