I should find you here."

"Any other woman of my acquaintance would have said, 'Who would have
expected to find you here!'" commented Miss Van Arsdale.

"Yes? I suppose so. But we've never been on that footing, Ban and I."
Io's tone was casual; almost careless.

"I thought that you were in the country," said Banneker.

"So we are. I drove up this morning to bid Miss Van Arsdale _bon
voyage_, and all the luck in the world. I suppose we three shall meet
again one of these days."

"You prophesy in the most matter-of-fact tone a gross improbability,"
observed Miss Van Arsdale.

"Oh, our first meeting was the gross improbability," retorted the girl
lightly. "After that anything might be logical. _Au revoir_."

"Go with her, Ban," said Miss Camilla.

"It isn't leaving time yet," he protested. "There's five whole minutes."

"Yes; come with me, Ban," said Io tranquilly.

Camilla Van Arsdale kissed his cheek, gave him a little, half-motherly
pat, said, "Keep on making me proud of you," in her even, confident
tones, and pushed him out of the door.

Ban and Io walked down the long platform in a thoughtful silence which
disconcerted neither of them. Io led the way out of it.

"At half-past four," she stated, "I had a glass of milk and one
cracker."

"Where do you want to breakfast?"

"Thanking you humbly, sir, for your kind invitation, the nearer the
better. Why not here?"

They found a table in the well-appointed railroad restaurant and
ordered. Over her honey-dew melon Io asked musingly:

"What do you suppose she thinks of us?"

"Miss Camilla? What should she think?"

"What, indeed? What do we think, ourselves?"

"Has it any importance?" he asked gloomily.

"And that's rather rude," she chided. "Anything that I think should, by
courtesy, be regarded as important.... Ban, how often have we seen each
other?"

"Since I came to New York, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Nine times."

"So many? And how much have we talked together? All told; in time, I
mean."

"Possibly a solid hour. Not more."

"It hasn't made any difference, has it? There's been no interruption.
We've never let the thread drop. We've never lost touch. Not really."

"No. We've never lost touch."

"You needn't repeat it as if it were a matter for mourning and
repentance. I think it rather wonderful.... Take our return from the
train, all the way down without a word. Were you sulking, Ban?"

"No. You know I wasn't."

"Of course I know it. I