u arrive, darling?" she exclaimed. "How do you do, Mr.
Neville? Valerie, child, I'm perfectly enchanted to see you. But where
in the world are you stopping?"

"At Ashuelyn," said the girl, looking straight into Helene's eyes. A
faint flash of telepathy passed between them; then, slowly, Helene
turned and looked at Neville.

"Will you wish us happiness?" he said, smiling.

"Oh-h," whispered Helene under her breath--"I do--I do--God knows. I
wish you everything that makes for happiness in all the world!" she
stammered, for the wonder of it was still on her.

Then Sam's voice sounded close at hand:

"Why," he said admiringly, "it _looks_ like lovey and dovey!"

"It is," said Valerie, laughing.

"You!--_and_ Kelly!"

"We two."

Sam in his excitement became a little wild and incongruous:

"'My wife's gone to the country!
Hooray! Hooray!'"

he shouted, holding hands with Annan and swinging back and forth.

"Sam!" exclaimed Helene, mortified.

"Darling?--oh, gee! I forgot what is due to decorum! Please, _please_
forgive me, Helene! And kindly inform these ladies and gentlemen that
you have consented to render me eternally and supremely happy; because
if I tried to express to them that delirious fact I'd end by standing on
my head in the grass--"

"You dear!" whispered Valerie, holding tightly to Helene's hands.

"Isn't it dreadful?" murmured Helene, turning her blue eyes on the man
who never would grow old enough to grow up. "I had no such intention, I
can assure you; and I don't even understand myself yet."

"Don't you?" said Valerie, laughing tenderly;--"then you are like all
other women. What is the use of our ever trying to understand
ourselves?"

Helene laughed, too:

"No use, dear. Leave it to men who say _they_ understand us. It's a
mercy somebody does."

"Isn't it," nodded Valerie; and they kissed each other, laughing.

"My goodness, it's like the embrace of the two augurs!" said Ogilvy.
"They're laughing at _us_, Kelly!--at you, and me and Harry!--and at man
in general!--innocent man!--so charmingly and guilelessly symbolised by
us! Stop it, Helene! You make me shiver. You'll frighten Annan so that
he'll _never_ marry if you and Valerie laugh that way at each other."

"I wonder," said Helene, quieting him with a fair hand laid lightly on
his sleeve, "whether you all would remain and dine with me this
evening--just as you are I mean;--and I won't dress--"

"I insist _proh pudeur_," mu