fondness Michael felt his eyes fill with tears. Such love
as his for Dora could never be expressed with the eloquence and passion
it demanded.

Michael and Alan had tacitly agreed to postpone all discussion of their
passionate adventure until the blackness of night and secret intimacy of
their bedroom made the discussion of it possible.

"I say, I kissed Dora this morning," announced Michael.

"So did I Winnie," said Alan.

"She wouldn't kiss me, though," said Michael.

"Wouldn't she?" Alan echoed in surprize, "Winnie kissed me."

"She didn't!" exclaimed Michael.

"She did, I swear she did. She kissed me more than I kissed her. I felt
an awful fool. I nearly got up and walked away. Only I didn't like to."

"Good Lord," apostrophized Michael. He was staggered by Alan's success
and marvelled that Alan, who was admittedly less clever than himself,
should conquer when he had failed. He could not understand the reason;
but he supposed that Dora, being so obviously the prettier, was
deservedly the more difficult to win. However, Michael felt disinclined
to pursue the subject, because it was plain that Alan took no credit to
himself for his success, and he wished still to be the leader in their
friendship. He did not want Alan to feel superior in anything.

The next day Miss Carthew was laid up in bed with a sick headache, so
that Michael and Alan were free to take Dora and Winnie upon the
promenade without the risk of detection. Accordingly, when they met in
Devonshire Park, Michael proposed this public walk. He was the more
willing to go, because since Alan's revelation of Winnie, he took a
certain pleasure in denying to her the attraction of Alan's company.
Winnie was not very anxious for the walk, but Dora seemed highly
pleased, and Dora, being the leader of the pair, Winnie had to give way.
While they strolled up and down the promenade in a row, Dora pointed out
to Michael and Alan in how many respects they both failed to conform to
the standards of smartness, as she conceived them. For instance, neither
of them carried a stick and neither of them wore a tie of any
distinction. Dora called their attention to the perfectly dressed youths
of the promenade with their high collars and butterfly ties and Wanghee
canes and pointed boots and vivid waistcoats.

After the walk the boys discussed Dora's criticism and owned that she
was right. They marshalled their money and bought made-up bow-ties of
purple and pink that