She was much moved by this welcoming of Mr.Digby to his home, and she wondered if the quickened beating of her heart manifested itself in any change of glance or colour.

She soon felt, however, as she distributed teacups and looked about her circle, that if she were visibly moved Mr.Digby would not be aware of the fact.

The fact, obviously, that he was most aware of was Lady Pickering's presence, and he was talking to her with a lightness and gaiety that she could presently only define, for her own discomfort, as flirtation.

Althea had had little experience of flirting, and the little had not been personal.
It had remained for her always a rather tasteless, rather ludicrous spectacle; yet Mr.Digby's manner of flirting, if flirting it was, was neither.

It was graceful, unemphatic, composed of playful repartee and merry glances.