When Nan had exhausted her little stock, Mr. Mayne peremptorily invited them to a round game; and the rest of the evening was spent in trying to master the mysteries of a new game, over the involved rules of which Mr. Mayne as usual, wrangled fiercely with everybody, while Dick shrugged his shoulders and shuffled his cards with such evident ill-humor that Nan hurried her sisters away half an hour before the usual time, in terror of an outbreak.
It was an utterly disappointing evening; and, to make matters worse, Mr. Mayne actually lit his cigar and strolled down the garden-paths, keeping quite close to Nan, and showing such obvious intention of accompanying them to the very gate of the cottage that there could be no thought of any sweet lingering in the dusk.
"I will be even with him," growled Dick, who was in a state of suppressed irritation under this unexpected surveillance; and in the darkest part of the road he twitched Nan's sleeve to attract her attention, and whispered, in so low a voice that his father could not hear him, "This is not good-bye. I will be round at the cottage to-morrow morning;" and Nan nodded hurriedly, and then turned her head to answer Mr. Mayne's last question.
If Dick had put all his feelings in his hand-shake, it could not have spoken to Nan more eloquently of the young man's wrath and chagrin and concealed tenderness. Nan shot him one of her swift straightforward looks in answer.
"Nevermind," it seemed to say; "we shall have to-morrow;" and then she bade them cheerfully good-night.
Dorothy met her in the hall, and put down her chamber-candlestick.
"Has the mother gone to bed yet, Dorothy?" questioned the young mistress, speaking still with that enforced cheerfulness.
"No, Miss Nan; she is still in there," jerking her head in the direction of the drawing-room. "Mr. Trinder called, and was with her a long time. I thought she seemed a bit poorly when I took in the lamp."
"Mamsie is never fit for anything when that old ogre has been," broke in Dulce, impatiently. "He always comes and tells her some nightmare tale or other to prevent her sleeping. Now we shall not have the new gowns we set our hearts on, Nan."
"Oh, never mind the gowns," returned Nan, rather wearily.