As the party started for the house, Dora, who was a quick walker, was not so quick as usual, and Ralph naturally slackened his pace a little.  In a few moments Miriam and Miss Drane were hurrying toward the house, considerably in advance of the others.

“It is so nice,” said Dora, “for your sister to have ladies in the house with her.  I have been wanting to see her ever so much, and was afraid something was the matter with her, especially as you did not come for your dog.”

As Ralph was explaining his apparent ungraciousness, Dora’s soul was roughly shaken.  She was angry with him and wanted to show it, but she saw clearly that this would be unsafe.  Her hold upon him was very slight, and a few unwise words now might make him no more than a mere acquaintance.  She did not wish to say words that would do that, but if she held him by a cord ever so slender, she would obey the promptings of her soul and endeavor to draw him a little toward her.  She would take the risks of that, for if he drifted away from her, the cord would be as likely to break as if she drew upon it.

“Oh yes,” she said, “I knew all the time why you and Miriam did not come to make a regular society call, but I did suppose that you would drop in to see about Congo.  As soon as I got home, after I promised him to you, I began to educate him to cease to care for me, and to care for you.  If you had been there, all this would have been easy enough, but as it was, I had to get Herbert or the coachman to take him out walking at the times I used to take him, and when he was tied up I kept away from his little house altogether, so that he should become accustomed to do without me.  I stopped feeding him, and made Herbert do that whenever he had time, and I insisted that he should wear a big straw hat, which he does not like, but which is a good deal like the one you wear, and which I thought might have an influence on the mind of Congo.”

This touched Ralph, and he did not wish that Miss Bannister should suppose that he thought so little of a gift of which she thought so much.  And in order to entirely remove any suspicion of ungratefulness, he endeavored to make her understand that he had wished very much to go to see the dog, but wished much more to go to see her.

“I hate a great many of these social rules,” he said, “and although I did not know any of the rest of your family, I knew you, and felt very much inclined to call on you and let the customs take care of themselves.”

“I wish you had!” exclaimed Dora; “I like to see people brave enough to trample on customs.”

Her spirits were rising, and she walked still slower.  This tete-a-tete was very delightful to Ralph, but he had no desire to trample on all social customs, and his feelings of courteous hospitality urged him to go as rapidly as possible to greet the special visitor who was waiting for him; but to desert that gentleman’s sister, or make her walk quickly when she did not wish to, was equally opposed to his ideas of courtesy, and so it happened that Dora and Ralph entered the parlor so much later than the others that a decided impression was made on the minds of Mrs. and Miss Drane.  And this was what Dora wished.  She felt that it would be a very good thing in this case to assert some sort of a preemption claim.  It could do no harm, and might be of great service.