"You look superb, Mollie, in your Sister's dress; but you must not wear it while you are here. You and I are exactly the same height, and one of my pretty dinner dresses will fit you. I have been saying so much to Gavon about you. O Mollie, I don't like to tell you, and yet I think I must."
Here Kitty broke off abruptly. She toyed with the ribbons at her belt; her eyes sought the ground.
"What is it?" asked Mollie, half guessing at the information which Kitty was so anxious and yet so afraid to bestow.
"It is this," said Kitty restlessly: "I am not _quite_ engaged, but I am all but."
"To whom, darling? You know you are very precious to me, and I am much older than you. I shall have to look into this matter."
"Oh, you will like him; you will be more than satisfied with him. You cannot help it," replied Kitty. "It is to Gavon--yes, to dear Gavon. I have loved him for so long. He has not quite absolutely spoken, but he will--I know he will. I think he will say something while you are here. The words often seem to me to be trembling on his lips. O Mollie, this is not like ordinary happiness! it is so deep that it frightens me."
Kitty's face grew very pale. She sank down in a chair, clasping her pretty hands together on her knee. Then she looked full up at her sister.
"This is quite splendid!" replied Mollie. "I shall look on Captain Keith with great interest now. Am I to see him to-night?"
"Of course you are. I told him you were coming. He is certain to be in, if not to dinner, very soon afterwards. Here is his photograph."
Kitty sprang up as she spoke, ran to her chest of drawers, took a photograph encased in a neat leather frame from a pile of others, and brought it up to Mollie.
"Here," she said, "look at his face. Is he not splendid?"
Mollie looked. A puzzled expression came into her eyes. It seemed to her that she had seen that face before, she could not recall where.
"What is the matter with you, Mollie?" asked Kitty.
"Perhaps you have seen him. You must have seen many soldiers at Netley."
"I cannot remember," said Mollie, returning the photograph to Kitty. "Thank you, Kits. He looks very nice, and, I think, even worthy of you. I am glad, after all, you are marrying a soldier, for I mean to devote all my life to them."