I've had mine." But she omitted to add she had
hardly eaten anything at the little solitary meal which succeeded Eliot's
departure.
Maria's indignation as she carried out the half-touched dishes had been
tinctured with a certain philosophic indulgence. "Ah, well!" she commented.
"They do say folks that be mazed wi' love can't never fancy their victuals.
Seems like tez true." In response to which Ann had merely laughed and
kissed her weather-beaten old cheek.
In true masculine fashion, it was not until the cravings of his inner
man were satisfied that Robin began to observe anything unusual in the
atmosphere. But when at last he had finished supper, and was filling
his beloved pipe preparatory to enjoying that best of all smokes which
follows a long day's riding and a cosy meal, it dawned upon him that there
was something unaccustomed in Ann's air of suppressed radiance. She was
hovering about him, waiting to strike a match for him to light up by, when
the idea struck him. He regarded her attentively for a minute or two with
his nice grey-green eyes and finally inquired in a tone of mild amusement:
"What is it, sister mine? Has some one left us a fortune, or what? There's
something odd about you to-night--an air of--_je ne sais quoi!_"--with an
expansive wave of his hand.
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