"
"May I say what I think?" asked Scott politely.
She stopped, facing him. "Yes, do!"
He was smiling somewhat whimsically. "I think that--like Cinderella--you
may break the spell if you stay too long."
"But isn't it too bad?" protested Dinah. "Your brother too--I can't
disappoint him."
Scott's smile became a laugh. "Oh, believe me, it would do him good, Miss
Bathurst. He gets his own way much too often."
She smiled, but not very willingly. "It does seem such a shame. He has
been--so awfully nice to me."
"That's nothing," said Scott airily. "We can all be nice when we are
enjoying ourselves."
Dinah looked at him with sudden attention. "Are you pointing a moral?"
she asked severely.
"Trying to," said Scott.
She tried to frown upon him, but very abruptly and completely failed. Her
pointed chin went up in a gay laugh. "You do it very nicely," she said.
"Thank you, Mr. Studley. I won't be grumpy any more. It would be a pity
to break the spell, as you say. Will you explain to the prince?"
"Certainly," he said, leading her on again. "I shall make it quite clear
to him that Cinderella was not to blame. Here is our sitting-room at the
end of this passage!"
He stopped at the door and would have opened it, but Dinah, smitten with
sudden shyness, drew back.
"Hadn't you better go in first and--and explain?" she said.
"Oh no, quite unnecessary," he said, and turned the handle.
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