most to his feet before it realized the mistake and shrilled
away on startled wings into the bushes behind. The trance of expectation
was spoiled, and Guy with a sigh broke the envelope.

WYCHFORD RECTORY, OXON,
_Wednesday_.

I am writing to you at my desk. I began this morning but it was
time to go out when I began. Now it's after tea. Margaret came in
just now and said I looked all crinkled up like a shell: it's
because I simply don't know how to write to you. I have read your
letter over and over again. I never thought there could be such a
wonderful letter in the world. But I feel very sorry for poor
Richard who can't write letters as exquisite as yours. I really
feel miserable about him. And this letter to you makes me feel
miserable because I can't write letters even as well as Richard.
Mother was glad you thought of going to Oxford because she says we
are a great responsibility to her. Isn't she sweet? She really is,
you know. So I talked to Father myself very seriously. I explained
to him that I was quite old enough to know my own mind, and he
listened to all the things I told him about you. He said he
supposed it was innevitable, which looks very funny somehow. Are
you laughing at my spelling? And then he said it was nothing to do
with him. So of course I rushed off to Mother and told her and
when you come back we are to be allowed to go out twice a week and
in three more months we can be engaged properly. Are you happy?
Only, dear Guy, Mother doesn't want you to come back till my
birthday. She thinks the idea of you and me will be better when
Father has got an Iris lorti or some name like that. He has never
had a flower of it before and he's so excited about it's coming
out just when my birthday is. Every day he goes down and pinches
the stalk of it. He says it's the loveliest flower in the world
and grows on Mount Lebanon. So if it comes out on my birthday, you
and I can certainly be engaged in August. Guy, I do hate my
handwriting.

Your loving
PAULINE.

It was a letter of gloriously good news, thought Guy, though he was a
little disappointed not to have had the thrill of Pauline's endearment.
Then, on the blank outside page, he saw scrawled in writing that went
tumbling head over heels down the paper: _My darling Guy, I love you and
underneath I have kisse