He did not appear in the yard that evening, and next day when he did, his face was turned from her all the time.  The day after that, she rattled the window and encouraged Pepper to bark to draw the young man’s attention, having ready for him a smile that should counteract Francie’s frowns, if smiles could do it; but again he took no notice.  Then she was sure that his feelings had been hurt.  Mrs and Miss Breen had returned to report a cool reception of the overtures that had been made almost certainly at his instigation—­had probably reproached him for exposing them to the insolence of stuck-up snobs.  Oh, it was horrid!  And doubtless he thought her as bad as the rest.  She had not gone downstairs to see his mother and sister, and how was he to know she had been ignorant that they were there?  And still he took Bruce out for walks, before breakfast and after business in the afternoons, when he might have been playing tennis and enjoying himself.

She bore with this state of things for some time, then suddenly determined to end it.  “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”  One of Deb’s petticoats showed signs of fraying, and, Deb-like, she must have fresh lace for it immediately.  Rose offered to go to town to fetch it, taking with her the money for her purchase.

Never before had she been to “Breen’s.”  Second-rate, if not third or fourth, was its class amongst Melbourne shops, and the Pennycuicks had always been accustomed to the best.  But when she turned in at the somewhat narrow and encumbered doorway, she was pleasantly surprised to note how far the shop ran back, and how well-stocked and busy and solidly prosperous it seemed.

He was there—­not, to her great relief, behind the counter, but in a sort of raised office place at the farther end—­attending to the books apparently, while keeping an eye upon other matters.  Hardly had she set foot upon the carpeted aisle when his head popped up from behind his desk, and she saw herself recognised.  As it was her object to be recognised, and to speak to him, she passed the lace department, the ribbons, the silks, the dress stuffs, until she reached the Manchester department, where they sold towels and table-cloths, and beautiful satin eider-downs in all the colours of the rainbow.  Here she halted and asked sweetly for torchon lace.

All the way had Peter watched her, but with his head down, as if wishing to hide from her.  “He fancies I shall be ashamed of him because he keeps a shop,” thought she; and that was exactly what he did fancy, knowing the world and its funny little inconsistent social ways.  So, when informed that she had left the lace counter far behind her, and while turning to retrace her steps, she frankly sought his eye, and catching it, bowed and smiled with all the friendliness that could be expressed in such fashion.

That smile drew Peter out.  But still he came with a bashful and hesitating air, as if uncertain of his reception; so that she had to meet him half-way, with bold hand extended.