and she said no more.

Dinah's hand slipped softly into hers. "I like sitting out too
sometimes," she said. "At least I like it now."

Isabel's eyes were upon her again. They looked at her with a kind of
incredulous wonder. After a moment she sighed.

"You would not like it for long, child. I am a prisoner. I sit in chains
while the world goes by. They are all hurrying forward so eager to get
on. But there is never any going on for me. I sit and watch--and watch."

"Surely we must all go forward somehow," said Dinah shyly.

"Surely," said Scott.

But Isabel only shook her head with dreary conviction. "Not the
prisoners," she said. "They die by the wayside."

There fell a brief silence, then impetuously Dinah spoke, urged by the
fulness of her heart. "I think we all feel like that sometimes. I know at
home it's just like being in a cage. Nothing ever happens worth
mentioning. And then quite suddenly the door is opened and out we come.
That's partly why I am enjoying everything so much," she explained. "But
it won't be a bit nice going back."

"What about your mother?" said Scott.

Dinah's bright face clouded again. "Yes, of course, there's Mother," she
agreed.

She looked across at Scott as if she would say more; but he passed
quietly on. "Where is your home, Miss Bathurst?"

"Right in the very heart of the Midlands. It is pretty country, but oh,
so dull. The de Vignes are the rich people of the place. They belong to
the County. We don't," said Dinah, with a sigh.

Scott laughed, and she looked momentarily hurt.

"I don't see what there is funny in that. The County people and the shop
people are the only ones that get any fun. It's horrid to be between the
two."

"Forgive me!" Scott said. "I quite see your point. But if you only knew
it, the people who call themselves County are often the dullest of the
dull."

"You say that because you belong to them, I expect," retorted Dinah. "But
if you were me, and lived always under the shadow of the de Vignes, you
wouldn't think it a bit funny."

"Who are the de Vignes?" asked Isabel suddenly.

Dinah turned to her. "We are staying here with them, Billy and I. My
father persuaded the Colonel to have us. He knew how dreadfully we wanted
to go. The Colonel is rather good-natured over some things, and he and
Dad are friends. But I don't think Lady Grace wanted us much. You see,
she and Rose are so very smart."

"I see," said Scott.

"Rose has been presented a