Waiting for Rose

"I was thinking whether you could not make an acceptable paper on the
lace system, which you really know so thoroughly."

"The fact is," said Rachel, "it is much more difficult to describe from
one's own observation than from other sources."

"But rather more original," said Ermine, quite overcome by the naivete
of the confession.

"I don't see that," said Rachel. "It is abstract reasoning from given
facts that I aim at, as you will understand when you have heard my
'Human Reeds,' and my other--dear me, there's your door bell. I thought
that Colonel was gone for the day."

"There are other people in the world besides the Colonel," Ermine began
to say, though she hardly felt as if there were, and at any rate a
sense of rescue crossed her. The persons admitted took them equally by
surprise, being Conrade Temple and Mr. Keith.

"I thought," said Rachel, as she gave her unwilling hand to the latter,
"that you would have been at Avoncester to-day."

"I always get out of the way of horse-dealing. I know no greater bore,"
he answered.

"Mamma sent me down," Conrade was explaining; "Mr. Keith's uncle found
out that he knew Miss Williams--no, that's not it, Miss Williams' uncle
found out that Mr. Keith preached a sermon, or something of that sort,
so mamma sent me down to show him the way to call upon her; but I need
not stay now, need I?"

"After that elegant introduction, and lucid explanation, I think you may
be excused," returned Alick Keith.