John, however, was talking biology or protoplasm or something else to an interested listener on the other side of the room, and was blind to all Marjory’s “nods and becks and wreathed smiles.”  So, when the amiable old lady returned with her prize, whom she appeared to have “captured” without either difficulty or delay, Marjory had the introduction all to herself.  She was not one of those wonderful inventions, a girl who can meet a man’s eyes with a steady stare, and for the first few minutes after their hostess left them she only noticed that her new acquaintance looked and spoke like a gentleman, that he had a very pleasant voice, and that, without being pedantic, he was not talking nonsense.  Imagine the sensation which took place in her head when, at some bright speech from her antagonist—­for they had immediately fallen into an argument—­she raised her laughing eyes to his face, and saw—­one of the youths who had fallen under her righteous indignation on the memorable night of the gorilla lecture!  Marjory had what are called “speaking eyes.”  It afflicted her greatly that, no matter what the emergency, her feelings would appear in her face; so—­although she struggled hard to go on as if nothing had happened, resolving, after a hasty mental review of the situation, to behave as if she had never seen him before, and upon better acquaintance demand the truth if she liked him, and let him severely alone if she did not—­anybody could have seen her countenance change, and to her intense chagrin she felt herself blushing.  To make matters worse, he blushed too, and over his intelligent face flitted just the shadow of a smile.

This was too much!  Marjory fanned herself vigorously, and hazarded an original observation in a constrained voice.  “Don’t you think it is very warm here?” she said.

“Very!” replied the student of nature.  “Shall we walk in the hall for a few minutes?” and he offered her his arm.  She rested the tips of her fingers on his sleeve, and they proceeded to walk up and down the hall, she being saved only by her escort from collision with various other couples similarly employed.  This interesting exercise lasted for some minutes, varied by attempts at conversation which were about as natural as spasms.  Marjory took a desperate resolution.  This absurd state of things should not last much longer, if she could help it.  “I never could act as if nothing was the matter when something was,” she began, “and I can’t help it if this is not polite; but I think, from what Mrs. Grove said about you, that you will tell me the truth if I ask you something.  Will you?” and she looked up once more.

“Certainly I will,” he answered gravely, meeting her glance with steady, honest eyes, and somehow, short as their acquaintance had been, she believed him.

She had meant to ask him deliberately if he or his companion, or both, had stolen her gloves and decorated her face, but she felt unable to do that with those eyes on hers; so she changed her tactics, and said, rather meekly, considering what her former feelings had been:  “Will you please tell me exactly what happened the evening that man lectured about the gorilla, and you sat nearly in front of my brother and me?”