The roses clung to her white gown as though loth to let her go, and strewed the ground as she passed, and no man's heart but must have jumped the quicker at sight of her coming towards him with welcomes in her eyes and hands.
She came straight across to us, and the other girls watched eagerly to see which of us she would speak to first--for Midsummer Eve is as full of signs and omens as Aunt Jeanne's gache of currants.
She gave a hand to each of us, the left to me and the right to young Torode, and the left is nearer the heart, said I to myself.
"Phil, mon cher," she cried joyously.

"It is good to see you alive and home again.

And some foolish ones said you were gone for good! And you are bigger and browner than ever--" and she held me off at arm's length for inspection.

"And when did you arrive ?" "I reached home just in time for supper." "Ah, how glad your mother would be! She and Aunt Jeanne and I were the only ones who hoped still, I do believe." "May I beg the first dance, mademoiselle ?" broke in young Torode, for the couples were whirling past us and he had waited impatiently while we talked.
"I must go and tie up my hair first.

It looks like a tangle of vraic," she laughed, and slipped away by the sides of the room and disappeared through the doorway.