ere seeing. Said Mrs.
Sherrill, raising her voice:

"Victor--here's Miss Hastings come to see you." Then to Jane: "Excuse
me, please. I don't dare leave that kitchen long."

She departed. Jane waited while Victor, his pencil reluctantly
slackening and his glance lingeringly rising from the paper, came back
to sense of his surroundings. He stared at her blankly, then colored a
little. He rose--stiff, for him formal. Said he:

"How d'you do, Miss Hastings?"

She came down the arbor, recovering her assurance as she again became
conscious of herself, so charmingly dressed and no doubt beautiful in
his eyes. "I know you're not glad to see me," said she. "But I'm only
stopping a very little minute."

His eyes had softened--softened under the influence of the emotion no
man can ever fail to feel at least in some degree at sight of a lovely
woman. "Won't you sit?" said he, with a glance at the wooden chair
near the other side of the table.

She seated herself, resting one gloved hand on the prettily carved end
of her white-sunshade. She was wearing a big hat of rough black straw,
with a few very gorgeous white plumes. "What a delightful place to
work," exclaimed she, looking round, admiring the flowers, the slow
ripening grapes, the delicious shade. "And you--how WELL you look!"

"I've forgotten I was ever anything but well," said he.

"You're impatient for me to go," she cried laughing. "It's very rude
to show it so plainly."

"No," replied he. "I am not impatient for you to go. But I ought to
be, for I'm very busy."

"Well, I shall be gone in a moment. I came only to tell you that you
are suspecting me wrongly."

"Suspecting you?--of what?"

"Of having broken my word. I know you must think I got father to set
Davy Hull on to upsetting your plans."

"The idea never entered my head," said he. "You had promised--and I
know you are honest."

Jane colored violently and lowered her eyes. "I'm not--not up to what
you say," she protested. "But at least I didn't break my promise.
Davy thought of that himself."

"I have been assuming so."

"And you didn't suspect me?"

"Not for an instant," Victor assured her. "Davy simply made the move
that was obviously best for him."

"And now he will be elected," said Jane regretfully.

"It looks that way," replied Victor. And he had the air of one who has
nothing more to say.

Suddenly Jane looked at him with eyes shining and full of appeal.

"Do