ing the newspapers with information, for which they had been
willing to pay liberally. "International alliance! How interesting.
The latest, eh?"

"No, it's not the latest," replied the secretary. "If it were, I
should have said nothing. It's only a baseless fear; but a potent one."

"Oh," Dumois turned ruefully to his plate.

"He attracts her," resumed the secretary.

"That is to be seen plainly--and she attracts him. That is as far as
it has gone."

"That is quite far," observed the tutor, glancing up hopefully.

"Oh, no," said Armitage warmly. He paused, and then finding every one
looking at him he applied himself to his luncheon not without confusion.

"I wish I could agree with you," sighed Miss Hatch. "She is a dear
girl. But you don't understand girls of her class. They have the
queerest ideas."

"Oh, I don't think they differ from other girls," said Mrs. Stetson.
"It is merely that they have the actual opportunity for realizing what
to other girls are mere dreams. I can imagine what my daughter would
have done if a foreign nobleman had paid court to her. I will say this
for Miss Wellington though; she would marry her chauffeur if she took
the whim."

Armitage, caught off his guard, looked up quickly.

"You don't say!" he exclaimed, whereat every one laughed and Dawson
shook his head in mock seriousness at him.

"See here, young man, if you make an attempt to demonstrate Mrs.
Stetson's theory, Ronald Wellington will drive you out of the country."

Armitage laughed.

"Well," he said, "I 'll pick Vienna."

As they were leaving the table, Miss Hatch caught Armitage's eye. She
had lingered behind the rest, bending over some ferns which showed
signs of languishing. Her eyeglasses glittered humorously at Armitage
as he sauntered carelessly to her side.

"It is all right, Mr. McCall," she said.

"All right?"

"I mean the incident in the garage. Master Ronald applied vigorously
for your discharge."

Armitage smiled.

"I imagined he would. The application was not sustained?"

"Hardly. At first, of course, Mrs. Wellington was quite indignant.
Then Miss Wellington came in and really she was a perfect fury in your
behalf. She made Master Ronald confess he had been smoking and showed
quite clearly that you were right."

"Bully for her! As a matter of fact, I don't think it was any of my
business. But that chap got on my nerves."

"He gets on all our nerves. But I 'm quite sure