t their
griefs must have happened generations ago. Their continuous cooing
rasped Aline's nerves. How would it be best to begin? She had planned it
out a dozen times in the train, and a dozen times more in the car: but a
few doves and a disturbance in an unseen family of chickens were enough
to put everything out of her head. Suddenly she began to cry. That was
not a part of her design; but no inspiration could have been more
useful. The pretty, serene mask of her smooth face wrinkled up
pitifully, and made her seem real and human. Barrie's heart warmed to
her for the first time.

"Oh, Mrs. West, what is it?" she exclaimed. "Nothing has happened to
moth--to Barbara?"

Nothing that happened to any one except herself could have drawn tears
from Aline West, but Barrie did not know that.

"I am so--horribly unhappy!" wailed Aline, hiding her distorted face in
her hands. There was no time to fumble for a handkerchief.

"Is there anything I can do?" Barrie asked.

"There is--everything!" Aline choked. She began to realize from the
girl's agitated voice that the accident of her own tears had been
providential. "But you won't do it when you know."

"I will, indeed--if I can," Barrie warmly protested.

"You have taken Ian away from me," Aline sobbed. "He was mine till you
came. I worshipped him, and he loved me. He loves me still, but we
quarrelled--about you. I was jealous--I confess. You are so young.
I'm--thirty. He said he cared nothing for you in that way--that you were
only a child; but he'd promised you to take you to Edinburgh and be a
sort of guardian, and nothing would induce him to break his word. I was
foolish--I tried to make it a test with him. I said if he loved me he
would tell you he'd changed his mind, that he couldn't take you. But he
wouldn't be persuaded, and so we quarrelled. Everything has been wrong
between us since. He is so proud and hard! And my heart is breaking."

"I am sorry--very sorry," Barrie answered in a queer, level voice,
without any expression in it. "Did you come here to tell me this?"

"No, oh, no," Aline said quickly. "I came from your mother. I was to
tell you that she's going to marry Mr. Bennett, and that she hopes still
that you may make up your mind to accept my brother who loves you so
much, before Mr. Bennett comes back from America. He's going in a day or
two--for a few weeks. You know, it is so awkward for Barbara. If he
should find out that--little secret she's kept fr