XIII Loristan Attends a Drill of the Squad

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``Tell me that you are not angry with me for expressing myself so awkwardly,'' she said.

``You couldn't have meant it. I know that,'' Marco answered boyishly. ``You couldn't.''

``No, I couldn't,'' she repeated, with the same emphasis on the words.

She took a card from a silver case on the table and gave it to him.

``Your father will remember my name,'' she said. ``I hope he will let me see him and tell him how you took care of me.''

She shook his hand warmly and let him go. But just as he reached the door she spoke again.

``Oh, may I ask you to do one thing more before you leave me?'' she said suddenly. ``I hope you won't mind. Will you run up-stairs into the drawing-room and bring me the purple book from the small table? I shall not mind being alone if I have something to read.''

``A purple book? On a small table?'' said Marco.

``Between the two long windows,'' she smiled back at him.

The drawing-room of such houses as these is always to be reached by one short flight of stairs.

Marco ran up lightly.