Never before had Miss Panney’s soul been so stung, burned, and lacerated, all at once, as by this laugh.  But the sound had scarcely left Dora Bannister’s lips when she bounded out of the carriage and ran after the old lady.  Throwing her arms around her neck, she kissed her on the cheek.

“I am awfully sorry I did that,” she said, “and I beg your pardon.  I don’t mind the thing a bit, and won’t you let me take you home in the carriage?”

Dora might as well have embraced a milestone and talked to it, for the moment she could release herself, Miss Panney stalked away without a word.

When she was again driving toward Cobhurst, Dora took from the front of the carriage a little hand mirror, and carefully arranged her hat, her feathers, her laces and ribbons.  Then having satisfied herself that her features were in perfect order, she put back her glass.

“I am not going to let any of them see,” she said, “that I mind it in the least.”

CHAPTER XLI

PANNEYOPATHY AND THE ASH-HOLE

Neither Ralph nor his sister nor either of the Drane ladies had the least reason to believe that Dora minded the news contained in Miriam’s note, except that it had given her a heartfelt delight and joy, and that it had made her unable to wait a single moment longer than was necessary to come and tell them all how earnestly she congratulated them, and what a capital good thing she thought it was.  She caught Ralph by himself and spoke to him so much like a sympathetic sister that he was a little, just the least little bit in the world, pained.

As Cicely had never had any objection to Miss Bannister, excepting her frequent appearances in Ralph’s conversation, she received Dora’s felicitations with the same cordiality that she saw in her lovely eyes and on her lips.  And Mrs. Drane thought that if this girl were a sample of the Haverleys’ friends and neighbors, her daughter’s lot would be even more pleasant than she had supposed it would be.  As for Miriam, she and Dora walked together, their arms around each other’s waists, up and down in the garden, and back and forward in the orchard, until the Bannister coachman went to sleep on his box.

During this long interview, the younger girl became impressed, not only with the fact that Dora thought so well of the match, that, if she had been looking for a wife for Ralph, she certainly would have selected Miss Drane, but with the stability of Miss Bannister’s affection for her, which did not seem to be affected in the least by the changes which would take place in the composition of the Cobhurst household.  Dora had said, indeed, that she had no doubt that she and Miriam would be more intimate than ever, because Mr. Haverley would be so monopolized by his wife.

This was all very pleasant to Miriam, but it did not in the least cause her to regret Ralph’s choice.  Dora was a lovely girl, but it was now plainer than ever that she was also a very superior one, whereas Cicely was just like other people and did not pretend to be anything more, and, moreover, she would not have wished her brother to marry anyone whose idea of matrimony was the monopoly of her husband, and she knew that Cicely had no such idea.  But Dora was the dearest of good friends, Miriam was very sure of that.