So she's busy hunting up her frills and furbelows to go in." As Giles remained in thought without responding, Melbury continued: "But I'll call her down-stairs." "No, no; don't do that, since she's busy," said Winterborne.
Melbury, feeling from the young man's manner that his own talk had been too much at Giles and too little to him, repented at once.

His face changed, and he said, in lower tones, with an effort, "She's yours, Giles, as far as I am concerned." "Thanks--my best thanks....But I think, since it is all right between us about the biddings, that I'll not interrupt her now.

I'll step homeward, and call another time." On leaving the house he looked up at the bedroom again.

Grace, surrounded by a sufficient number of candles to answer all purposes of self-criticism, was standing before a cheval-glass that her father had lately bought expressly for her use; she was bonneted, cloaked, and gloved, and glanced over her shoulder into the mirror, estimating her aspect.

Her face was lit with the natural elation of a young girl hoping to inaugurate on the morrow an intimate acquaintance with a new, interesting, and powerful friend..