n nowhere.'

'I know what has happened,' said Josephine Powder, looking
half vexed and half curious,--'you needn't tell _me_ anything.
When a lady sees almost nobody and goes riding with the rest,
we know what _that_ means. It's transparent.'

'I wouldn't conclude upon it, Hazel,' said another lady. 'A
man that had got a habit of command by being one's guardian,
you know, wouldn't leave it off easy. Would he, Mrs. Powder?'

'Are we to congratulate you, my dear?' asked the ex-Governor's
lady, with a civil smile, and an eye to the answer.

'Really, ma'am, I see no present occasion?' said Hazel, with
more truth than coolness.

'She sees no occasion!' cried Josephine. 'Well, I shouldn't
either in her place.' (Which was a clear statement that grapes
were sour.) 'Poor child! Are you chained up for good, Hazel?'

'Hush, Josephine?' said her mother, who was a well-bred woman;
such women _can_ have such daughters now-a-days. And she went on
to invite Hazel to join a party that were going in the
afternoon to visit a famous look-out height, called Beacon
Hill. She begged Hazel to come for luncheon, and the excursion
afterwards.

'Do say yes, please!' said Captain Lancaster, turning from the
other group. 'You have said nothing but no for the last
month.'

'Well, if being a negative means that one is not also a
positive--' Hazel began.

'And then, oh Miss Kennedy,' broke in Molly Seaton, 'there's
this new Englishman!--'

'A new Englishman!--'

'Yes,' said Molly, unconscious why the rest laughed, 'and he's
seen you at church. And he has vowed he will not go home till
he has seen you in the German.'

'Has he?' said Hazel. 'I hope he likes America.'

They gathered round her at that, in a breeze of laughter and
entreaty, till her shy gravity gave way, and Mr. Rollo's ears
were saluted by such a musical laugh as he had not heard for
many a day.

'He'll be here presently,' said Molly. 'He's up in the mill
with Kitty Fisher. So you can ask him yourself, Miss Kennedy.'

Rollo heard, and purposely held himself a little back, and
continued a conversation he did not attend to; he would not be
more of a spoil-sport then he could help.

'You'll come, won't you, Hazel?' said Josephine. 'I will be
very good if you will come.'

Hazel balanced probabilities for one swift second.

'That is too large a promise, Phinny--I would not make it. But
I will come, thank you, Mrs. Powder. Only not to luncheon. I
will drive over this