"After a day," she thought, "out of doors with Mrs. Mayburn's genial
common-sense and Mr. Graham's cool, half-cynical philosophy to steady
me, I shall be sane enough to answer."
They were soon bowling away in a strong, three-seated rockaway, well
suited to country roads, Graham driving, with the object of his
thoughts and hopes beside him. Mrs. Mayburn and the major occupied the
back seat, while Jinny, with a capacious hamper, was in the middle
seat, and in the estimation of the diplomatic aunt made a good screen
and division.
All seemed to promise well for her schemes, for the young people
appeared to be getting on wonderfully together. There was a constant
succession of jest and repartee. Grace was cordiality itself; and in
Graham's eyes that morning there was coming an expression of which he
may not have been fully aware, or which at last he would permit to be
seen. Indeed, he was yielding rapidly to the spell of her beauty and
the charm of her mind and manner. He was conscious of a strange,
exquisite exhilaration. Every nerve in his body seemed alive to her
presence, while the refined and delicate curves of her cheek and
throat gave a pleasure which no statue in the galleries of Europe had
ever imparted.
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