lattered than I can possibly express, but I want to know
what _you_ think about it. Shall you tire of me?"

"Oh, I think not. I am sure I shall not."

"Do you want me to buy this place?"

She looked at him helplessly. Instinct whispered that he was unfair, but
she had no anger for him. "I--I--think I do," she said. "I--I think you
know I do." And then she did feel a little angry with him.

He drew back at once. "You are my first friend, you know," he said in
his ordinary manner. "I should not think of settling near you unless I
were sure of not boring you. But I believe we have tastes in common, and
I hope you will let me come over often."

"You will be always welcome," she said formally. Her anger had gone,
leaving a chill in its wake.

The char-a-banc drove up. Mrs. Yorba descended simultaneously. Her
virtues were many, and one of them was punctuality.

XX

The Montgomerys' house was next in age to the Yorbas', but neither so
large nor so solid. Even its verandah, however, had a more homelike air;
its carpets and rugs were old but handsome; and it was full of pretty
trifles, and much carved furniture, gathered in Europe. The lawns were
small, the grounds carelessly kept, but there were many fine old trees
and a wilderness of flowers.

Coralie Brannan and Lee Tarlton, Mrs. Montgomery's little ward, were
romping on the lawn as the Yorbas drove up. Tiny and Ila were sitting on
the verandah. The former was in her favourite white, and a hat and sash
of azure. Ila wore a superlatively smart frock of yellow silk muslin,
and a yellow sun-hat covered with red poppies.

Trennahan saw the flash of dismay from Magdalena's eyes before her face
settled into its most stolid expression. He felt genuinely sorry for
her, but his only part was to get out and hand these radiant visions
into the char-a-banc.

"It is _so_ nice to think that you may be a neighbour of ours," said
Tiny, sweetly, as Ila was kissing Mrs. Yorba, and asking if she were not
a good girl to meet her halfway. "We shall really be glad to have you."

"We shall make him forget that he has not lived here always," said Ila,
with her most brilliant smile. She was much elated at the unexpected
foil. "He will become quite one of us."

"I am sure he would not think of settling elsewhere in California," said
Mrs. Yorba. And then she added with what for her was extreme
graciousness, "My husband and I shall be very glad to have him for
neighbour."

Tren