a year or two, perhaps," Val added.

"Oh dear!" cried Daphne again, as she left the room.

"Poor pet," Val murmured to herself. "I hope I'm not teaching her to be
cynical."

CHAPTER XXXIII

GOOD-BYE

The only person in the family who did not thoroughly approve of Gladys's
decision was her mother. Mrs. Brill thought it sheer madness to decline
proposals of a 'gentleman from the West End,' as she called him; so
clever and so rich, so handsome and so much in love. She was romantic
and yet worldly in her views, and was much excited at the idea of the
rivalry for her daughter. There were bitter scenes between Mr. and Mrs.
Brill on the subject. Mr. Brill was not romantic nor worldly, but he was
very sentimental, and he didn't hold with breaking his word to the Green
Man, nor indeed with that mixing up of Stations to which he had already
alluded.

Between the opposing views of her parents Gladys became somewhat
bewildered. She liked the son of the Green Man (he was in reality only a
green boy, but good-looking, and she had always known him), and she
wished to be loyal to him. Yet her mother's remarks about Mr. Vaughan
began to appeal to her imagination, such as it was. She was rather
dazzled and began to weaken. She was at the age when one can really be
in love with anybody, and she was flattered. Though she felt she would
feel more at home with her childhood's friend, she began, very slightly,
to look down upon him when she compared him with Gillie.

Vaughan came down the day after he had received her letter, and behaved
precisely as usual.

Mr. Brill, meeting him with a rather shamefaced air in the garden, said
straightforwardly--

"Very pleased indeed to see you, Mr. Vaughan. You got my letter, sir?"

"Yes, indeed. To my sorrow. I want to talk to you about it."

"Well, I was sorry to write it, sir, if you take my meaning. But there!
Well, Mrs. Brill 'as expressed a wish for a few words with you, if you
wouldn't mind."

"I shall be delighted, of course. But--may I see Gladys?"

"Why, yes, sir. Tea and bread and butter? The usual thing?"

"Yes, please. As usual." Mr. Brill lingered.

"Ave some watercress with it, sir," he added sympathetically, "or we've
got some very nice little radishes. Ow about them?"

Vaughan nearly laughed.

"No, thank you! I'm afraid they wouldn't be any use to me, Mr. Brill."

"Ha, ha! You will have your joke!"

Mr. Brill went in and told his wife that Mr. Vaughan was "