"Do you know, dear," he said,--there had been a good many "dear's" slipping back and forth all unannounced during that ride, and not openly acknowledged either. "Do you know how becoming your new bonnet is to you? You look prettier than I ever saw you look but once before." He kept his eyes upon her face and watched the sweet color steal up to her drooping eyelashes.
"When was that?" she asked coyly, to hide her embarrassment, and sweeping him one laughing glance.
"Why, that night, dear, at the gate, in the moonlight. Don't you remember?"
"Oh-h-h-h!" Marcia caught her breath and a thrill of joy passed through her that made her close her eyes lest the glad tears should come. Then the little bird in her heart set up the song in earnest to the tune of Wonder: "He loves me, He loves me, He loves me!"
He leaned a little closer to her.
"If there were not so many people looking I think I should have to kiss you now."
"Oh-h-h-h!" said Marcia drawing in her breath and looking around frightened on the number of people that were driving all about them, for they were come almost to the railroad now, and could see the black smoke of the engine a little beyond as it stood puffing and snorting upon its track like some sulky animal that had been caught and chained and harnessed and was longing to leap forward and upset its load.
But though Marcia looked about in her happy fright, and sat a trifle straighter in the chaise, she did not move her hand away that lay next David's, underneath the linen lap robe, and he put his own hand over it and covered it close in his firm hold. Marcia trembled and was so happy she was almost faint with joy. She wondered if she were very foolish indeed to feel so, and if all love had this terrible element of solemn joy in it that made it seem too great to be real.
They had to stop a number of times to speak to people. Everybody knew David, it appeared. This man and that had a word to speak with him, some bit of news that he must not omit to notice in his article, some new development about the attitude of a man of influence that was important; the change of two or three of those who were to go in the coaches on this trial trip.
To all of them David introduced his wife, with a ring of pride in his voice as he said the words "My wife," and all of them stopped whatever business they had in hand and stepped back to bow most deferentially to the beautiful woman who sat smiling by his side. They wondered why they had not heard of her before, and they looked curiously, enviously at David, and back in admiration at Marcia. It was quite a little court she held sitting there in the chaise by David's side.