," and was at present
busily engaged in trying to remove Meg's, which was very soft
and lovely before she touched it. The novels had taken away a
little, and the "Block" a little more, but, Meg was naturally
freshminded, and it took time to make much difference. Just now,
under her friend's tutelage, she was being inducted into the
delightful mysteries of sweethearting, and for the time, it quite
filled her some what purposeless young life. But it all ended
with an adventure that years afterwards used to make her cheeks
tingle painfully at the thought.

After the bi-weekly French lesson, as I have said, the two friends
used to come back together in the river-boat at five o'clock.
And by this boat there always came two boys by the name of Courtney,
and a third boy, Aldith's particular property, James Graham. Now
the young people had become known to each other at picnics and the
like in the neighbourhood, but the acquaintance, instead of
ripening on frequent meeting into a frank, pleasant friendship,
had taken the turn of secrecy and silly playing at love. James
Graham was in a lawyer's office, a young articled cleric of
seventeen in undue haste to be that delightful thing, a man.
He carried a cane, and was very particular about his hat and
necktie and his boots, which generally were tan. And he had
the faintest possible moustache, that he caressed with great
frequency; and that privately Aldith thought adorable. Aldith's
pert, sprightly manner pleased him, and in a very short time
they had got to the period of passing notes into each other's
hands and sighing sentimentally. Not that the notes contained
much harm, they were generally of rather a formal character.

"My dear' Miss MacCarthy," one would run--

"Why were you not on the boat yesterday? I looked for you till
it was no use looking longer, and then the journey was blank.
How charmingly that big hat suits you, and those jonquils at
your neck. Might I beg one of the flowers? just one, please,
Aldith.

Your devoted friend,
James Graham."

And Aldith's, written on a sheet of her note-book with a pink
programme pencil that she always kept in her purse, might be
no worse than:

"Dear Mr. Graham,

"What EVER can you want these flowers at my neck for? They have
been there all day, and are dead and spoiled. I can't IMAGINE what
good they'll be to you. Still, of course, if you REALLY care for
them you shall have them. I am so glad you lik