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WILD MARGARET, AB
His eagerness was so palpable, almost so boyish, that
Margaret could not repress a soft. laugh. Rather
gingerly she came back a step, and he held out his watch.
‘*‘ It is half-past nine,” she said. OS
“There you are, you see; it isn’t late at all! Now you
stop out till ten, and I’ll take myself off’’— and witha
nod he walked toward the steps, with Margaret’s anti- -
macassar shawl in his hand. _
“My lord!’ she said, in a tone of annoyance, for it
Seemed as if he had done it on purpose.
‘*'Yes,’’ he responded, turning back very promptly.
“Will you give me my anti—my shawl, please?”’
‘*Eh?. Oh, of course, I beg your pardon,’’-he said. “I
took it up intending to ask you ‘to put it on—nights are
chilly sometimes. Here you are. Let me put it on for
you. e
him
‘“‘ Well, itis warm,” he said, looking up at the sky, and
then quickly returning his gaze to her face. “‘ It’s a pity
you can’t paint this; but you artists get rather handi-
capped on these night scenes, don’t you? Want a big moen
and a waterfall, and all that kind of thing?’ |
Margaret smiled. Certainly, in matters pertaining toart
e was a perfect savage. _.
“To-night could be painted,.my lord,” she said, just
stopping to say it, then moving away again. .
“You think so?” he said, displaying, with boyish ingen-
_ uousness, his desire to engage her in conversation. “ Well,
I don’t know much about it; rather out of my line, you
_ know. But I like seeing pictures, and I think you must
-be awfully clever——”
“Thanks, my lord!’ said Margaret, with admirable
gravity. ‘But your avowed ignorance rather detracts
~ from the value of your expressed approval, does it not?”
He looked at her: .
““That’s rather hot and peppery, isn’t it?” he said, rue-
fully. -‘‘Look here, you know; if I’m not up in painting,
I know a little of other things. There are three things
you might put me through a regular exam. in, and I
shouldn’t come out badly.” .
. “For instance, my lord?” said Margaret, dangerously
interested, and slowly stopping. uy
‘For instance. Well, 1 know a horse when I see it.” -
‘* Very few people take it for a cow,’ retorted Margaret.
He laughed. 4
“Oh, you know what I mean. Many flats take a screw
for a horse, though. Well, I know what a horse is worth
‘No, no, thank you,” said Margaret, taking it from
“x