"The roses are all asleep, Billikins," she said.

"They look like alabaster, don't they ?" She caught a cluster to her and held it against her cheek for a moment.
Merryon was close behind her.

She seemed to realize his nearness quite suddenly, for she let the flowers go abruptly and flitted on.
He followed her till, at the farther end of the veranda, she turned and faced him.

"Good-night, Billikins," she said, lightly.
"What about that dancing-lesson ?" he said.
She threw up her arms above her head with a curious gesture.

They gleamed transparently white in the starlight.