“I expected that Mr. Luzerne would have been here this evening, but he sent an apology in which he declined to come.”

“Did you invite Annette?” said Miss Croker.

“No, I did not.  I got enough of her when I lived next door to her.”

“Well that accounts for Mr. Luzerne’s absence.  They remind me of the Siamese twins; if you see one, you see the other.”

“How did she get in with him?”

“She met him at Mrs. Lasette’s party, and he seemed so taken up with her that for a while he had neither eyes nor ears for any one else.”

“That girl, as quiet as she looks, is just as deep as the sea.”

“It is not that she’s so deep, but we are so shallow.  Miss Booker and Miss Croker were sitting near Annette and not noticing her, and we girls were having a good time in the corner to ourselves, and Annette was looking so lonely and embarrassed I think Mr. Luzerne just took pity on her and took especial pains to entertain her.  I just think we stepped our feet into it by slighting Annette, and of course, as soon as we saw him paying attention to her, we wouldn’t change and begin to make much of her.”

“I don’t know what he sees in Annette with her big nose and plain face.”

“My father,” said Laura Lasette, “says that Annette is a credit to her race and my mother is just delighted because Mr. Luzerne is attracted to her, but, girls, had we not better be careful how we talk about her?  People might say that we are jealous of her and we know that we are taught that jealousy is as cruel as the grave.”

“We don’t see anything to be jealous about her.  She is neither pretty nor stylish.”

“But my mother says she is a remarkable girl,” persisted Laura.

“Your mother,” said Mrs. Larkins, “always had funny notions about Annette, and saw in her what nobody else did.”

“Well, for my part, I hope it will be a match.”

“It is easy enough for you to say so, Laura.  You think it is a sure thing between you and Charley Cooper, but don’t be too sure; there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.”

There was a flush on Laura’s cheek as she replied, “If there are a thousand slips between the cup and the lip and Charlie and I should never marry, let me tell you that I would almost as soon court another’s husband as a girl’s affianced lover.  I can better afford to be an old maid than to do a dishonorable thing.”

“Well, Laura, you are a chip off the old block; just like your mother, always ready to take Annette’s part.”

“I think, Mrs. Larkins, it is the finest compliment you can pay me, to tell me that I am like my dear mother.”

Chapter XVIII

“Good morning,” said Mr. Luzerne, entering Mr. Thomas’ office.  “Are you busy?”

“Not very; I had just given some directions to my foreman concerning a job I have undertaken, and had just settled down to read the paper.  Well how does your acquaintance with Miss Harcourt prosper?  Have you popped the question yet?”