I thought there was no one here--the curtain concealed you: I am sorry." She shrugged her shoulders and gave him the faintest and most condescending of bows; then, as he reached the door, she said: "Do you think it will be moonlight to-night ?" Stafford naturally looked rather surprised at this point-blank meteorological question.
"I shouldn't be surprised if it were," he said.

"You see, this is a very changeable climate, and as it is raining now it will probably clear up before the evening." "Thanks!" she said.

"I am much obliged--" "Oh, my opinion isn't worth much," he put in parenthetically, but she went on as if he had not spoken.
-- "I should be still further obliged if you would be so kind as to tell my father--he is outside with the carriage somewhere--that I am tired and that I would rather not go on until the cool of the evening." "Certainly," said Stafford.
He waited a moment to see if she had any other requests, or rather orders, and then went out and found the gentleman with the strongly marked countenance, in the stable-yard beside the carriage to which the hostler and the help were putting fresh horses.
Stafford raised his hat slightly.
"I am the bearer of a message from the young lady in the dining-room, sir," he said.

"She wishes me to tell you that she would prefer to remain here until the evening." The man swung round upon him with an alert and curious manner, half startled, half resentful.
"What the devil--I beg your pardon! Prefers to remain here! Well!" He muttered something that sounded extremely like an oath, then, with a shrug of his shoulders, told the hostler to take the horses out.

"Thank you!" he said to Stafford, grudgingly.