"Don't forget to tell her `au revoir.' "
"I won't, dear.Good-night."
"Good-night." She lifted her face and he kissed her perfunctorily.Then he came down the steps and went slowly toward the gate, looking about him into the darkness as if searching for something;but Ariel had fled away from the path of light that led from the open door.
She skimmed noiselessly across the lawn and paused at the side of the house, leaning against the veranda, where, on a night long past, a boy had hid and a girl had wept.A small creaking sound fell upon her ear, and she made out an ungainly figure approaching, wheeling something of curious shape.
"Is that you, Sam?" she said.
Mr.Warden stopped, close by."Yes'm," he replied."I'm a-gittin' out de hose to lay de dus'
yonnah." He stretched an arm along the cross-bar of the reel, relaxing himself, apparently, for conversation."Y'all done change consid'able, Miss Airil," he continued, with the directness of one sure of privilege.
"You think so, Sam?"
"Yes'm.Ev'ybody think so, _I_ reckon.Be'n a tai'ble lot o' talkum 'bout you to-day.Dun'no'
how all dem oth' young ladies goin' take it!" He laughed with immoderate delight, yet, as to the volume of mere sound, discreetly, with an eye to open windows."You got 'em all beat, Miss Airil!
Dey ain' be'n no one 'roun' dis town evah got in a thousum mile o' you! Fer looks, an' de way you walk an' ca'y yo'self; an' as fer de clo'es--name o'