He had only twice before seen her in that mood, and he liked it.

He remembered how she had lost her temper once when she was fifteen, and hated a girl he admired.

Suddenly he laughed aloud at the thought of the fierce little picture she had made, and the gloom, which had been so sedulously cultivated, was dissipated in a moment.

The laugh surprised the man who brought in some letters.
One of them was from "Nopper" Harrison, and gave him all the private news.

The ball was to be given at mid-Lent, which arrived toward the end of March, and negotiations were well under way for the chartering of the "Flitter," the steam-yacht belonging to Reginald Brown, late of Brown & Brown.
The letter made Brewster chafe under the bonds of inaction.