u and I
whom she could teach," he laughed.

"How do you know all this?" asked Halcyone quietly, while her eyes
smiled at his raillery. "Do I look such an old-fashioned blue-stocking,
then?"

"You look perfectly sweet," and John Derringham's expressive eyes
confirmed what he said.

"Enough, enough, John. Halcyone is quite unaccustomed to gallants from
the world like you," the Professor growled. "If you pay her compliments
she won't believe you can really make a speech."

So Mr. Derringham laughed and continued his interrupted conversation. He
seemed in good humor with all the world. He was going to stay at
Wendover for the whole of Easter week. Mrs. Cricklander had an amusing
party of luminaries of both sides--she was the most perfect hostess and
had a remarkable talent for collecting the right people.

"She is quite the best-read woman I have ever met, Master," John
Derringham said. "You must let me bring her over here one day to see
you--you would delight in her wit and beauty. She does not leave you a
dull moment."

"Yes, bring her," the Professor returned between the puffs at his long
pipe. "I have never met any of these new hothouse roses grafted upon
briar roots. I should like to study how the system has worked."

"Quite admirably, as you will see. I do not know any Englishwomen who
are to compare to such Americans in brilliancy and fascination."

Over Halcyone, in spite of her serenity, there crept a feeling of cold.
She did not then analyze why, and, as was her habit when anything began
to distress her, she looked out of the window, whether it were night or
day. She always did this, and when her eyes saw Nature in any of her
moods, calm returned to her.

"She will simply revel in La Sarthe Chase when she sees it," Mr.
Derringham went on, now addressing Halcyone. "She is a past-mistress in
knowledge of the dates of things. You are going to have the most
delicious neighbor, Miss Halcyone, and in learning, a foeman worthy of
your steel."

Cheiron was heard to chuckle wickedly, and when his former Oxford pupil
asked him with mild humor the reason of his inappropriate mirth, he
answered dryly:

"She is never likely to see the inside of the park even. Queen Victoria
did not receive divorced persons, and the Misses La Sarthe, in
consequence, cannot either. You will have to bring her here by the road,
John!"

Halcyone winced a little. She disliked this conversation; it was not as
_fine_ as she liked to t