"How much farther is it at the rate we are going?" she asked.
"Another twenty minutes."
"Another twenty minutes!" she repeated thoughtfully. "That is quite a long
time, isn't it?"
He flicked his whip across the horse's ears.
"Yes, and I'm glad," he said. "Otherwise, I shouldn't have seen much of
you. I happen to know that I am taking in Miss Caruthers to dinner, and
dinner takes up most of the evening at these functions."
"You are taking in Lois Caruthers!" she said, laughing. "I know of some
one who will be annoyed."
"Stafford, you mean?"
"And Lois herself."
He joined in her amusement.
"Yes, I suppose so."
"You have a good-natured hostess. I dare say the arrangement could be
altered if you wished it."
"But I don't. They happen to be _my_ arrangements, you see."
"Oh!" she ejaculated, somewhat taken back.
"On my left there will be Mrs. James, who, as you perhaps know, is stone
deaf," he went on calmly. "On Miss Caruthers' right will be Mr. James, who
from long custom never opens his mouth except to put something into it.
Stafford will be right at the other end of the table."
"You are malicious," she said.
"Not a bit. I only go hard for what I want, that's all." He chuckled to
himself and then went on: "I've confided to you my subtle underground
plans--why, goodness knows. I'm not usually of a confiding nature. But
really, Miss Cary, I feel as though I had known you all my life.
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