Page:The Yellow Book - 08.djvu/226

"That could hardly be the case in Miss Nancy's company," he replied in his best manner; "but if she had not been so kind to me your tardiness in coming would certainly have been harder to bear."

The carefully picked words did not come naturally from the boyish fellow who had talked slang to her on the top of the omnibus, but Tom Unwin never talked slang when there was a situation of any kind. Jean was bitterly conscious of being the only one of the three who was not behaving in a picturesque manner. The other two vied with each other in showing her little attentions, a fact that entirely failed to deceive her.

"Do they think I am a fool?" she thought scornfully. "Why should they suppose that I need propitiating?"

And she insisted curtly on pouring out her own cup of tea, and sat down obstinately on a high chair, without noticing the low one he was pulling forward for her.

"Don't let me disturb you," she said calmly; "you made such a charming picture when I came in."

They only seemed to her to be making a ridiculous picture now. She was conscious of nothing but the satirical view of the situation, and she had a mad desire to point at them and scream with laughter at their fatuity in supposing that she did not see through their discomfiture.

"We thought you were never coming," began Nancy in her gentle tired voice; "I was afraid you had been taken ill or something."

"Yes, indeed," added Tom with strained jocularity; "it was all I could do to restrain Miss Nancy from sending a telegram to somebody about you. She only gave up the idea when I got her to acknowledge that she didn't even know where to send it."

"Now,