Then came the miracle.  For as she uncomfortably waited, Ward’s friend, the queer man with the black eyes and thick hair, suddenly took the seat beside her.  Nina’s heart gave a plunge, for if she was ill at ease with “kids” like Harry and Joshua, how much less could she manage a conversation with the lion of the hour!  But Royal Blondin needed no help from Nina.

“You’re little Miss Carter, aren’t you?” he said.  “We were introduced, back there, but there were too many young men around you then for me to get a word in!  However, I was watching you—­I wonder if you know why I’ve been watching you all afternoon?”

Nina cleared her throat, and gave one fleeting upward glance at the dark and earnest eyes.

“I’m sure I don’t know why any one should watch me!” she tried to say.  But everything after the first three words was lost in the ruffles of the white gown.

“I’ll tell you why.  I watched you because, from the moment I saw you, I said to myself, ’if that little girl isn’t utterly wretched and out of her element, among all these shallow chatterers and gigglers, I’m mistaken!’ I saw the lads gather about you, and I had my little laugh—­you must forgive me!—­at the quiet little way you evaded them all.  Nice boys, all of them!  But not worth your while!”

Nina murmured a confidence.

“What did you say?” Blondin said.  “But come,” he added, frankly, “you’re not afraid of me, are you?  My dear little girl, I’m old enough to be your father!  Look up—­I want to see those eyes.  That’s better.  Now, that’s more friendly.  Tell me what you said?”

“I said—­that Mother expected me to—­to like them.”

“To—?  Oh, to like the boys.  Mother expects it?  Of course she does!  And some day she’ll expect to dress you in white, and bid us all to come and dance at the wedding!  But in the meantime, Mother mustn’t blame someone who has just a little more discernment than--well, young Brevoort, for example, for seeing that her tame dove is really a wild little sea-gull starving for the sea.  Now, look here, Miss Nina, you hate all this society nonsense, don’t you?”

“Loathe it!” Nina stammered, with a little excited laugh.

“Loathe it?  Of course you do!  Of course you do!  And you don’t want to fall in love with one of these lads for a year or two, anyway?”

“Oh, my, no!” Nina felt the expression inadequate, but her breath had been taken away.  The man had turned about a little, his eyes were all for her, and his arm, laid carelessly along the back of the green bench, almost touched the white ruffles.  They were in full sight of the house, too, and if Lettice or Anna came back, they would see Nina in deep and lasting conversation with the man that all the older women were so mad about—­

“You don’t.  But—­what?” He bent his dark head.

“I said, ’But I don’t know how you knew it’!” Nina repeated, looking down in her overwhelming self-consciousness, but with a smile of utter happiness and excitement.