"Good evening, Edgar," said Mark.
"_You_ here!" exclaimed Edgar, in unqualified amazement.
"Yes; I did not expect to have the pleasure of meeting you," answered Mark with an amused smile. He understood Edgar"s surprise, and the reason of it.
Meanwhile Stanley Rayburn stood by in silence.
"Introduce me to your friend, Edgar," he said, for he was attracted by Mark"s frank, handsome face.
"Mark Mason--Stanley Rayburn!" said Edgar awkwardly. He would have liked to decline introducing Stanley to his poor cousin, but there seemed to be no way of avoiding it.
"I am glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Mason," said Stanley cordially.
"Thank you, but don"t call me Mr. Mason."
"I would rather say Mark. Any friend of Edgar----"
"Mark Mason and I are only acquaintances," said Edgar hurriedly, and in the worst possible taste.
"I hope that _we_ shall be friends," said Stanley with emphasis, thinking that Edgar was a cad.
"I hope so too," rejoined Mark earnestly, "if, after getting my "character" from Edgar," he added with a smile, "you still wish it."
Stanley was a little puzzled, not knowing how Mark was regarded by his companion.
"I think I shall go down at once," said Stanley. "I don"t think I require any finishing touches to my toilet."
"Be ready to go with me to Miss Gilbert," said Edgar. "I will follow you in a minute."
"Very well."
"Now," said Edgar, when he and his cousin were alone, "how do you happen to be here?"
"By Miss Gilbert"s invitation, of course. I suppose that is the case with you."
"Certainly. Does she know that you are a telegraph boy?"
"Yes."
"That"s strange. Did you ever meet her?"
"Oh, yes; I have spent the evening here two or three times."
"That"s queer. By the way, you seem to be very nicely dressed."
"I am glad you like my suit."
"Yet you are as poor as poverty. It was a crazy idea to run into debt for an expensive suit."
"I didn"t run into debt. My suit is paid for."
"Yet your mother claims to be very poor."
"We are getting along better now."
"It would have been wiser for you to save the money you spent on this suit and keep it for rent and food."
"Your advice is very kind, Edgar, but I really feel that I can manage my own business."
"Oh, well, if you choose to resent my good advice----"
"I don"t. I hope it springs from your interest in me."
During this conversation Edgar was brushing his hair carefully and "prinking" before the gla.s.s, for he was anxious to appear as fascinating as possible when he presented himself to Miss Gilbert.
"Shall we go down?" asked Mark.
"Yes, perhaps we may as well. I suppose you would feel awkward entering the drawing-room alone."
"Perhaps so," said Mark smiling.
As the two presented themselves in the room below Edgar looked about for Stanley, but did not see him.
"I wonder where Stanley has disappeared to," he said in a tone of vexation. "He promised to go up with me to Miss Gilbert."
"If he doesn"t show up, Edgar, I shall be glad to take his place. As you have only recently come to the city, I suppose you don"t know her well."
"I only met her once," Edgar admitted, "and she may not remember me."
"Then come with me."
Almost against his wishes Edgar found himself walking up to the other end of the room with his despised cousin. He would not have believed it possible if this had been predicted to him an hour earlier.
"Good evening, Mark! I am glad to see you here," said Maud Gilbert, with a pleasant smile.
"Let me present Mr. Edgar Talbot," said Mark after a suitable acknowledgment.
"I had the pleasure of meeting you when in company with Stanley Rayburn," explained Edgar.
"Oh, yes, I remember. And so you are also acquainted with Mark."
"Yes," answered Edgar, rather awkwardly. "I expected Mr. Rayburn to present me."
"You have found a sponsor equally good," returned Maud.
Then the two walked on, giving place to others.
"You seem to know Miss Gilbert very well," said Edgar in a tone of curiosity.