In the meantime, without any attention to my feelings, the business of the tea-table proceeded.  Mrs. Hollenbeck poured out tea, and kept the little boys under a moderate control.  Kilian cut up some birds before him, and tried to persuade the young ladies to eat some, but nobody had appetite enough but Mr. Whitney and himself.  Charlotte Benson, who was clever and efficient and exceedingly at home, cut up a cake that was before her, and gave the boys some strawberries, and offered some to me.  Miss Palmer simply looked very handsome, and eat a biscuit or two, and tried to talk to Mr. Whitney, who seemed to have a good appetite and very little conversation.  Miss Leighton gave herself up to attentions to Kilian; she was saying silly little things to him in a little low tone all the time, and offering him different articles before her, and advising him what he ought to eat; all of which seemed most interesting and important in dumb-show till you heard what it was all about, and then you felt ashamed of them.  At times, I think, Kilian felt somewhat ashamed too, and tried to talk a little to the others; but most of the time he seemed to like it very well, and did not ask anything better than the excellent woodcock on his plate, and the pretty young woman by his side.

“By the way,” said Sophie, when the meal was nearly over, “I had a letter from Richard to-day.”

“Ah!” said Kilian, with a momentary release from his admirer.  “And when is he coming home?”

I looked up with quick interest, and met Mrs. Hollenbeck’s eyes, which seemed to be always on me.  Then I turned mine down the table uncomfortably, and found Charlotte Benson looking at me too.  I did not know what I had done to be looked at, but wished they would look at themselves and let me take my tea (or leave it alone) in peace.

“Not for two weeks yet,” said his sister; “not for two whole weeks.”

“How sorry I am,” said Charlotte Benson.

“I think we are all sorry,” said Henrietta the tranquil.

“Miss d’Estree confided to me that she’d be glad to see him,” said Kilian, cutting up another woodcock and looking at his plate.

“Indeed I shall,” I said, with, a little sigh, not thinking so much about them as feeling most earnestly what a difference his coming would make, and how sure I should be of having at least one friend when he got here.

“He seems to be having a delightful time,” said his sister.

“I am glad to hear that,” I said, interested.  “Generally he finds it such a bore.  He doesn’t seem to like to travel.”  I was rather startled at the sound of my own voice and the attention of my audience; but I had been betrayed into speaking, by my interest in the subject, and my surprise at hearing he was having such a pleasant time.

“Ah!” she said, “don’t you think he does?  At any rate, he seems to be enjoying this journey, and to be in no hurry to come back.  I looked for him last week.”