The young girl looked up at him with a startled glance--shy, sweet,
hesitating--and then he went up to her.
"Do not let me disturb you," he said. "The duchess is engaged and gave
me permission to wait for her here."
She bowed, and he fancied that her white fingers trembled.
"May I introduce myself to you?" he continued. "I am Lord Arleigh."
A beautiful blush, exquisite as the hue of the fairest rose, spread over
her face. She looked at him with a smile.
"Lord Arleigh," she repeated--"I know the name very well."
"You know my name very well--how is that?" he asked, in surprise.
"It is a household word here," she said; "I hear it at least a hundred
times a day."
"Do you? I can only hope that you are not tired of it."
"No, indeed I am not;" and then she drew back with a sudden hesitation,
as though it had just occurred to her that she was talking freely to a
stranger.
He saw her embarrassment, and did his best to remove it.
"How beautiful these roses are!" he said, gently. "The duchess is
fortunate to have such a little paradise here."
"She ought to be surrounded by everything that is fairest and most
beautiful on earth," she declared, "for there is no one like her.
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