She had to wait for the 7.10. She must pull herself together. What did this mean? Why had Lewis been so--unkind? He might have just come to say "Good-bye, Toney, I'll not forget you among the lions"--or words to that effect. He might have just given her one of his kind, jolly looks, which made one trust him with everything, he might even have smiled a little scoffingly as he did over some of her plans!---- He had done none of these things, simply, he had gone away as any stranger might have departed.
"Lewis, Lewis, Lewis," she repeated to herself though to his face she always said "Mr. Waycott." Then something strange happened. She walked into the first-class waiting-room which was deserted and looked at herself in the glass. "Toney," she said, "Toney I--do believe--you are a downright--horrid girl--I do believe--gracious stars! I believe you are--no." She shook herself like a Newfoundland dog just come out of the water. "I won't be--so horrid. What would Pups have said? To care so awfully for someone else's lover! Oh, Pups! I never guessed it till now." A tearless sob shook her, but at that moment the 7.10 steamed in and Toney had to dart out to meet the genius. Never in all her life had she made such an effort to call up a smile, but of course Frank Weston must be received properly!
"Oh, Mr. Weston, there you are! I've told Jim to call for the luggage. Come into the motor at once. So sorry it's only me, but Jeanie isn't here. I think the puss--I mean Mrs. Hamilton--didn't like her coming. Sort of not proper to be seen in public. Odd, isn't it? But she knows I'm looking after you."
Frank Weston was smiling all over his face.
"I told her not to come," he said. "She might catch cold, and besides she says she is very busy, and Maud is overworked."
"Everything's ready as I promised, you know."
Frank looked at the heiress and he thought her face was changed.
"You look tired, you have done too much for us--but I'll just say it once, Miss Whitburn."
"No, say Toney; I shall be sort of sister now, shan't I?"
"Well, Toney, I'll just say it once, that we owe all our great happiness to you, and that we can never forget it. Jeanie isn't demonstrative, but she never forgets."
"She never forgot you, did she? But you needn't say 'thank you' because I'm grateful to you. If it hadn't been for what I saw in your faces I might have made a great mistake."