And they went down.

Everyone was already there, waiting.  A single neighbouring squire and magistrate, by name Trusham, had been bidden, to make numbers equal.

Dinner was announced; they went in.  At the round table in a dining-room, all black oak, with many candles, and terrible portraits of departed ancestors, Anna sat between the magistrate and Gordy.  Mark was opposite, between a quaint-looking old lady and a young girl who had not been introduced, a girl in white, with very fair hair and very white skin, blue eyes, and lips a little parted; a daughter evidently of the faded Mrs. Doone.  A girl like a silvery moth, like a forget-me-not!  Anna found it hard to take her eyes away from this girl’s face; not that she admired her exactly; pretty she was—­yes; but weak, with those parted lips and soft chin, and almost wistful look, as if her deep-blue half-eager eyes were in spite of her.  But she was young—­so young!  That was why not to watch her seemed impossible.  “Sylvia Doone?” Indeed!  Yes.  A soft name, a pretty name—­and very like her!  Every time her eyes could travel away from her duty to Squire Trusham, and to Gordy (on both of whom she was clearly making an impression), she gazed at this girl, sitting there by the boy, and whenever those two young things smiled and spoke together she felt her heart contract and hurt her.  Was this why that something had gone out of his eyes?  Ah, she was foolish!  If every girl or woman the boy knew was to cause such a feeling in her, what would life be like?  And her will hardened against her fears.  She was looking brilliant herself; and she saw that the girl in her turn could not help gazing at her eagerly, wistfully, a little bewildered—­hatefully young.  And the boy?  Slowly, surely, as a magnet draws, Anna could feel that she was drawing him, could see him stealing chances to look at her.  Once she surprised him full.  What troubled eyes!  It was not the old adoring face; yet she knew from its expression that she could make him want her—­make him jealous—­easily fire him with her kisses, if she would.

And the dinner wore to an end.  Then came the moment when the girl and she must meet under the eyes of the mother, and that sharp, quaint-looking old governess.  It would be a hard moment, that!  And it came—­a hard moment and a long one, for Gordy sat full span over his wine.  But Anna had not served her time beneath the gaze of upper Oxford for nothing; she managed to be charming, full of interest and questions in her still rather foreign accent.  Miss Doone—­soon she became Sylvia—­must show her all the treasures and antiquities.  Was it too dark to go out just to look at the old house by night?  Oh, no.  Not a bit.  There were goloshes in the hall.  And they went, the girl leading, and talking of Anna knew not what, so absorbed was she in thinking how for a moment, just a moment, she could contrive to be with the boy alone.