Linon, said something to her, and went towards the pavilion where the ladies took off their skates.
At that moment one of the young men, the best of the skaters of the day, came out of the coffee-house in his skates, with a cigarette in his mouth.
He took off his skates, and overtook the mother and daughter at the entrance of the gardens.
"Oh," she said, looking at the string of skates as if she had hardly expected to see them again, "so you have brought our things back?"
"Allow me, Miss," he said to Gertrude, who was standing on one leg, leaning on Agatha, and taking off her own skates.
"If all the skates is off, I will, by Miss Wilson's order, carry them and the camp-stool back to the college."
He stood on the shore, listening to the grinding, swaying sound of the skates, and watching the growing complexity of the curves they were engraving on the ice.
The time passed quickly; when Miss Ward sent for him to take off her skates there was a general groan and declaration that it could not possibly be half-past eight o'clock yet.
"This comes of a common man putting himself above his station by getting into gentlemen's skates," he said.
What fault, if any, do you find with my putting the skates on the young ladies, and carryin' the campstool for them?"
I ask your pardon, Miss, most humble, and I hope the young ladies'll be able to tell one set of skates from t'other; for I'm blest if I can."