ne. There was an ominous
stiffness in his gait.

"Oh, dear, dear!" Miss Hugonin wailed; "he's in a temper now, and
he'll probably be just as disagreeable as it's possible for any one
to be. I do wish men weren't so unreasonable! He looks exactly like a
big, blue-eyed thunder-cloud just now--just now, when I'm sure he has
every cause in the _world_ to be very much pleased--after all
I've done for him. He makes me awfully tired. I think he's _very
ungrateful_. I--I think I'm rather afraid."

In fact, she was. Now that the meeting she had anticipated these
twelve hours past was actually at hand, there woke in her breast an
unreasoning panic. Miss Hugonin considered, and caught up her skirts,
and whisked into the summer-house, and there sat down in the darkest
corner and devoutly wished Mr. Woods in Crim Tartary, or Jericho, or,
in a word, any region other than the gardens of Selwoode.

Billy came presently to the opening in the hedge and stared at the
deserted bench. He was undeniably in a temper. But, then, how becoming
it was! thought someone.

"Miss Hugonin!" he said, coldly.

Evidently (thought someone) he intends to be just as nasty as
possible.

"Peggy!" said Mr. Woods, after a little.

Perhaps (thought someone) he won't be _very_ nasty.

"Dear Peggy!" said Mr. Woods, in his most conciliatory tone.

Someone rearranged her hair complacently.

But there was no answer, save the irresponsible chattering of the
birds, and with a sigh Billy turned upon his heel.

Then, by the oddest chance in the world, Margaret coughed.

I dare say it was damp in the summer-house; or perhaps it was caused
by some passing bronchial irritation; or perhaps, incredible as it may
seem, she coughed to show him where she was. But I scarcely think so,
because Margaret insisted afterward--very positively, too--that she
didn't cough at all.

XXII

"Well!" Mr. Woods observed, lengthening the word somewhat.

In the intimate half-light of the summer-house, he loomed prodigiously
big. He was gazing downward in careful consideration of three fat
tortoise-shell pins and a surprising quantity of gold hair, which was
practically all that he could see of Miss Hugonin's person; for that
young lady had suddenly become a limp mass of abashed violet ruffles,
and had discovered new and irresistible attractions in the mosaics
about her feet.

Billy's arms were crossed on his breast and his right hand caressed
his chin meditatively. By an