Chris kissed the note with a rush of tenderness--greater than she had ever managed to bestow upon the writer. That brief response to her appeal stirred her as she had never been stirred before. It was sweet of him to trust her so. She would never forget it, never, as long as she lived.
When Jack appeared to escort her, he noted her radiant face and shining eyes with approval.
"Why, you're looking almost pretty for once," he said. "What has happened to bring it about? It must be a recipe worth having."
"Don't be absurd!" she retorted, beaming upon him. "Who wants to be pretty?"
"It's better to be good certainly," he said. "I know you couldn't be both. But what's the joke? I think you might let me help laugh."
"There isn't a joke," she said. "And I'm not laughing. I've had a letter from Trevor, that's all. And he's going to Paris."
"Now you're horrid!" she protested. "I don't want him to go in the least."
"Of course not," said Jack. "I've observed how remarkably depressed you were by the news."
"I shall be cross with you in a minute," said Chris.
"Heaven forbid!" said Jack. "When is he coming back?"
"And does he take the French secretary with him?"
"Oh, no, he can't go to France. I mean--I mean--"
"I know what you mean," said Jack. "They would take too keen an interest in him over there. Isn't that it?"
He laughed. "The proverbial little bird! I might add that a good many people know by this time."
"Oh, Jack, do they?" Chris looked at him in consternation. "He didn't want anyone to know."
"My dear child, in that case he should not have courted publicity as the guest of the evening last night."
"Jack! He wasn't the guest of the evening! How dare you say such things!"
Chris's rare displeasure actually was aroused now. Her slight figure stiffened, and she tapped her knee with her riding-switch. She never touched her animal with this weapon, whatever his idiosyncrasies, and certainly the horses she rode generally behaved with docility.
Jack surveyed her with amused eyes as they turned up under the trees. "All right," he said imperturbably. "He wasn't. My mistake, no doubt. But where on earth were you hiding during the supper extras? He was missing too. Curious, wasn't it?"
Chris came out of her temper with a winning gesture of appeal. "Jack dear, don't! I've heard such a lot about it from Aunt Philippa already. And why shouldn't I talk to my pals? You wouldn't like it if I didn't talk to you sometimes."