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  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  Two evenings later Peggy edged her way out of the crowd at Mrs Rollo'sreception, and sat down in a corner with a gasp of relief. Eunice hadbeen correct in prophesying a crush, for the suite of entertaining-roomsseemed a solid block of people, and the babel of voices almost drownedthe music, which was being discoursed at intervals by a violinist with ashock head, a Signor with an Italian name and an English face, and alady with an elaborate coiffure, who, in turn, warbled by herself, andjoined in the rendering of impassioned Italian duets. The accompanistflourished up and down the piano, and the singers held their music atarm's length, half-acting the words as they alternately frowned andsmiled, and having gone their separate ways throughout three wholepages, joined together in a conclusive burst of triumph. The babel oftalk went on with even greater energy when the last note had died away,and Peggy pursed up her lips in doubtful compliment.

  "_That's_ over, thank goodness! I don't know what it was all about, butshe said, `Si,' `Si,' a great many times over, and they seemed happy atthe end, so that's satisfactory. It must be very exhausting to smile sohard, and sing so loudly at the same time, so I hope other peopleappreciated their efforts more than I did." Peggy sighed, and stifled ayawn. She was feeling just a trifle tired and depressed in spirits, forthe day had been a busy one, and the process of dressing for the eveninghad been delayed by one of those careless tricks for which she wasfamous. Some trifling alteration having to be made to the belt of hersash, she had taken it in hand herself, and put it--where? That was thequestion. Nowhere in any of the three bedrooms could that belt befound, and while the brougham waited at the door, and an impatient maletramped up and down, four distracted females rushed to and fro, openingdrawers, ransacking wardrobes, and burrowing beneath beds. Mrs Savillegrew nervous and hysterical; her husband tugged at his moustache, andvowed his intention of sending away the brougham and spending theevening at home if this sort of "foolishness" went on much longer; andMellicent was on the point of tears, when at last the missing treasurewas discovered, squashed flat beneath a cushion, in company with amagazine, a handkerchief, an odd glove, and several stray needles.

  Colonel Saville looked very fierce during the drive which followed. Hislight eyes sent out little sparks of fire, and the waxed ends of hismoustache bristled with anger, while Peggy sat opposite him in a littleheap in the corner of the carriage, with her eyebrows peaked into theold eave-like shape, and the corners of her lips drooping pensivelydownward. The meek little, "Yes, father!" "No, father!" which repliedto his strictures, would have melted a heart of stone, and Mellicent wasrelieved to see the colonel's frown gradually giving place to the usualgood-natured twinkle.

  "But you must be more careful, child," he said, "or you and I willquarrel I can't stand disorderly ways. You ought to have a place foreverything."

  "I have, father, but it's generally in the _other_ place!" sighed Peggyplaintively, whereat her father laughed, despite himself, and peace wasrestored. He was very tender to his little daughter during the hourwhich followed, as he invariably was after anything had occurred tocause a cloud between them; but though Peggy found no familiar faces inthe throng, her parents were fortunate enough to discover several old-time friends, so it came to pass that she now found herself alone forthe moment, and thankfully seized the opportunity of a rest.

  Ten minutes earlier one of the younger men to whom she had beenintroduced had asked to be allowed to pilot her to the refreshment-room,but she had insisted on sending Mellicent in her stead, and now had thepleasure of beholding that young lady standing in a distant corner,enjoying an animated conversation, and looking so fresh and bonnie amongthe anaemic town-bred girls, that more than one admiring glance was castin her direction. Peggy's little face softened into a very sweetexpression of tenderness as she watched her friend, and hugged thethought that she had had some part in giving her the pleasure which shewas now enjoying. In the pretty white dress, with her hair arranged byCarter's skilful hands, Mellicent had no cause to be dissatisfied, evenin the midst of this fashionable throng, and the natural girlishpleasure in looking her best added zest to the evening's enjoyment.Peggy reflected once more that it was more blessed to give than toreceive, and sitting perched on the ottoman with her little satin shoesbraced against the floor which they barely touched, enjoyed a reflectedpleasure in Mellicent's conversation, blissfully unconscious of the factthat every expression which flittered over her friend's face wasfaithfully reflected on her own. The worst of being born a mimic isthat on occasions one acts a part without being in the least consciousof so doing, and so while Miss Peggy fondly imagined herself to bewearing an expression of dignified repose, in reality her features werenever still for the fraction of a second. Mellicent smiled--she smiledalso; Mellicent shook her head--she did the same, until all the littlesprays of the white aigrette shook and quivered again; Mellicentappeared to question her companion--Peggy's eyebrows peaked themselvesin an inquiring arch; Mellicent cast down her eyes and modestly studiedthe carpet--prunes and prisms were reflected on Peggy's face in anattack of the most virulent description. So it went on for five minuteson end, the little play being hidden from the surrounding gaze by a bankof palms, through the boughs of which the unconscious actress studiedher part; but at the end of five minutes something happened whichcompletely altered the current of Peggy's thoughts. Mellicent's partnercalled attention to something at the opposite end of the room, and thegirl turning to look at it, her understudy naturally followed herexample, and straight-way forgot Mellicent and her doings for the restof the evening.

  Some one was leaning up against the doorway, studying her in his turn,and at sight of him Peggy's heart gave a wild dance of agitation. Thecrowds of gaily dressed visitors whizzed round and round like pieces ofglass in the old-fashioned kaleidoscope through which she used to gazein the vicarage drawing-room; the branches of the palms swayed about inextraordinary fashion, and the face staring into her own grew dim andindistinct. But it _was_ the same face. Oh yes! No one else couldpossibly possess those deep-set eyes, those rugged features, that heavylock of hair across the brow. In spite of all reasons to the contrary,it was Rob himself, and the next moment his well-known voice sounded inher ear.

  "Mariquita! Little Peggy! Is this really you?"

  "Oh, Rob!" cried Peggy faintly, and could find no other word. He hadtaken the seat beside her, and each gazed into the other's face witheager eyes, noting the changes which the years had brought to thefamiliar features. Rob's skin was burnt brown by the burning sun of thelands through which he had travelled, his forehead showed deeply gravenlines, and his cheeks had lost their boyish curve, but the atmosphere ofstrength and health and honest manliness remained, and exercised the oldmagnetic influence over his companion. It was like a breath of mountainair coming into the heated room, to see Rob's face, and hear his heartyvoice. Peggy drew a deep sigh of contentment, and smiled a happygreeting.

  "It is just as you said it would be, Rob, our meeting like this! Howlong had you been standing there? Did you recognise me at once? Whyare you here at all? I thought you were in the country, and that youhated going out, and would never accept an invitation if you could helpit!"

  "Circumstances alter cases! I was at the vicarage the other day whenMellicent's letter arrived, saying you were to be here to-night, and asudden temptation seized me to have a look at you, and see what mannerof young lady the years had made of Peggy-Pickle. I came up thisafternoon, astonished Rosalind by offering to accompany her, andwandered about the room staring curiously at every girl I met. I sawseveral in pink dresses that might possibly have been you, but if theyhad, I should have marched straight home without troubling for anintroduction. Then I skirmished round to this door, and saw a littlehead bobbing about in a way that seemed familiar, and--"

  "And please," inquired Peggy meekly, "how do you like me, now you havefound me? Am I at all what you expected?"

  She lifted her face to his in the old mischievous fashion, and Rob
studied it with a thoughtful gaze. If she hoped to receive a complimentin reply to her question, she was disappointed. It was not Rob's way topay compliments, and there was, if anything, a tinge of sadness in thetone in which he said:

  "You have changed! It's inevitable, I suppose, but I have alwaysthought of you as I saw you last, and don't seem to recognise the newedition. You have grown-up, but you've grown-up very small! Thereseems less of you than ever. Was the climate too much for you outthere? I should have liked to have seen you looking stronger, Peg!"

  "Oh, I'm a wiry little person!" said Peggy lightly. "You needn't beanxious about me;" but she coughed as she spoke, and lay back againstthe cushions, for really it was rather nice to have Rob anxious abouther, and to see the troubled tenderness in his eyes! She fluttered herfan to and fro in a feeble, exhausted fashion, while Rob continued tostare and to frown.

  "You look too much like the rest of 'em. That's what I complain of!" hesaid discontentedly, eyeing the details of her dress, and pointing witha long brown finger to the bracelets on her wrist. "All these fixings-up! Have you grown into a fashionable young lady, by any chance,Mariquita? Are you going to join the social treadmill, and spend yourtime in a rush after gaiety and enjoyment? or are you the same littlegirl I used to know, who had an ideal of her own, and wanted to dosomething grand and noble with her life? Which of the two is it? Ican't decide!"

  "Oh, Rob!" cried Peggy piteously, and clapped her hands together. "Oh,Rob, it's both! I do want to be good more than anything else in theworld. That wish is always there, at the very bottom of my heart, andat any moment, if I were called upon to choose, I would give upanything--anything! to do what was right. But I want to enjoy myselftoo, and to have some fun, and go about to everything that is going on,and wear pretty clothes, and be--be admired, and praised, and flattered!There! I couldn't say so to any one else, but I always did confide inyou, Rob; and you won't be shocked. I seem to have two separate sides,and the worst side is often the strongest. Do you think it is verywrong of me, Rob? I'm so young, you see, so young, and so fond ofamusement!"

  "Poor little Peg!" said Rob tenderly. "Poor little Peg! You werealways an honest little soul, and owned up about your failings. Well,there it is, and you must fight it out for yourself. No one can helpyou in a case like this, and you'll come out all right in the end, solong as you keep a true heart. I suppose it's only natural that youshould want your fling. Most girls do, and find a mysterious pleasurein gadding about, and dressing themselves up like dolls." He scannedher once again with amused, half-angry admiration. "You are mightysmart, Miss Mariquita--a very fine bird! It must have taken a long timeto put on all those feathers. Are those what you call your feet? Haveyou been going in for the binding system in India, may I ask?"

  "What is the matter with my feet?" queried Peggy, in a tone of injury,as she stretched out two satin slippers, which seemed suddenly to becomeof Liliputian dimensions when contrasted with Rob's huge square-toedshoes. "They are very useful little feet, and can carry me about justas well as your great ironclads can carry you. You used to say yourselfthat I walked uncommonly well for a girl."

  "I did, and I'm glad to find you have not outgrown the accomplishment.Do you remember the red Tam o' Shanter, Peggy? I found it on its pegwhen I went to the vicarage after you had left, and walked off with itin my pocket. There was a hue and cry when its loss was discovered, forit had been kept as a sort of fetish, but I refused to restore it. I'llgive it back to you, though, if you will promise to wear it in thecountry when I can see you!"

  "I will, with pleasure, every single day when it's not too hot. Dearold Tam! It will remind me of our old times together, when we were sohappy, and thought ourselves so miserable, because lessons were hard, orour plans went wrong, or we couldn't agree. But you and I neverquarrelled, Rob, we were always friends, and--"

  "Partners!" said Rob softly; and Peggy stared fixedly across the room,and once again the floor described that curious upward tilt, and akaleidoscope whirl of colour flew past.