Sylvia looked stunning . She was all in white , with a string of pearls about her pretty round throat and a couple of little pink roses in her black hair . I never saw her so smiling and bright ; but she seemed quieter than usual , and avoided poor Micky so skilfully that it was really a pleasure to watch her . The Old Fellow came in late , with his tie all crooked , as it always was ; I saw Sylvia blush and nudged Ruggles to look . `` She 's thinking of the letter , '' he said . Ruggles and I never meant to listen , upon my word we did n't . It was pure accident . We were in behind the flags and palms in the Modern Languages Room , fixing up a plan how to get Em and Jennie off for a moonlit stroll in the grounds -- these things require diplomacy I can tell you , for there are always so many other fellows hanging about -- when in came Sylvia Grant and the Old Fellow arm in arm . The room was quite empty , or they thought it was , and they sat down just on the other side of the flags . They could n't see us , but we could see them quite plainly . Sylvia still looked smiling and happy , not a bit mad as we had expected , but just kind of shy and radiant . As for the Old Fellow , he looked , as Em White would say , as Sphinx-like as ever . I 'd defy any man alive to tell from the Old Fellow 's expression what he was thinking about or what he felt like at any time . Then all at once Sylvia said softly , with her eyes cast down , `` I received your letter , Mr. Osborne . '' Any other man in the world would have jumped , or said , `` My letter !!! '' or shown surprise in some way . But the Old Fellow has a nerve . He looked sideways at Sylvia for a moment and then he said kind of drily , `` Ah , did you ? '' `` Yes , '' said Sylvia , not much above a whisper . `` It -- it surprised me very much .
I never supposed that you -- you cared for me XXXXX that way . ''
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