beast that did the business on the
day we eloped."

"Eloped!" cried Rosa and Lord Robert together.

"Why, did you never hear that Glory eloped with me?"

Glory was trying to drown his voice with hollow laughter.

"She was seven and I was six and a half, and she had proposed to me in
the orchard the day before!"

"Anybody have more tea? No? Some sally-lunn, perhaps?" and then more
laughter.

"Hold your tongue, Glory! Nobody wants your tea! Let us hear the story,"
said Rosa.

"Why, yes, certainly," said Lord Robert, and everybody laughed again.

"She was all for travel and triumphal processions in those days----"

Glory stopped her ears and began to sing:

Willy, Willy Wilkin,
Kissed the maid a-milkin'!
Fa, la la!

"There were so many things people could do if they wouldn't waste so much
time working----"

Willy, Willy Wilkin
Kissed the maid----

"Glory, if you don't be quiet we'll turn you out!" and Rosa got up and
nourished her proofs.

"I had brought my dog, and when I called her a----"

But Glory had leaped to her feet and fled from the room. Drake had leaped
up also, and now, putting his back against the door, he raised his voice
and went on with his story.

"Somebody saved us, though, and she lay in his arms and kissed him all
the way home again."

Glory was strumming on the door and singing to drown his voice. When the
story was ended and she was allowed to come back she was panting and
gasping with laughter, but there were tears in her eyes for all that, and
Lord Robert was saying, with a sidelong look toward John Storm, "Really,
this ought to be a scene in the new Sigurdsen, don't you know!"

John had retired within himself during this nonsense. He had been feeling
an intense hatred of the two men, and was looking as gloomy as deep
water. "All acting, sheer acting," he thought, and then he told himself
that Glory was only worthy of his contempt. What could attract her in the
society of such men? Only their wealth, and their social station. Their
intellectual and moral atmosphere must weary and revolt her.

Rosa had to go to her newspaper office, and Drake saw her to the door.
John rose at the same time, and Glory said, "Going already?" but she did
not try to detain him. She would see him again; she had much to say to
him. "I suppose you were surprised to hear that I had returned to
London?" she said, looking up at his knitted brows.

He did not answer immediately, and Lord