hile Miss Lucilla was making Mrs. Eveleth renew her promise to come and
see her, and "bring young Mrs. Eveleth with her," Pruyn found an
opportunity for another word with Diane.

"You must understand," he said, in a tone which he tried to make
one of explanation for her enlightenment rather than of apology for
Dorothea--"you must understand that girls have a good deal of liberty in
America."

"They have everywhere," she rejoined. "Even in France, where they've
been kept so strictly, the old law of Purdah has been more or less
relaxed."

"If you take up teaching as a work, you'll naturally be thrown among our
young people; and you may see things to which it will be difficult to
adjust your mind."

"I've had a good deal of practice in adjusting my mind. It often seems
to me as movable as if it was on a pivot. I'm rather ashamed of it."

"You needn't be. On the contrary, you'll find it especially useful in
this country, where foreigners are often eager to convert us to their
customs, while we are tenacious of our own."

"Thank you," she said, in the spirit of meekness his didactic attitude
seemed to require. "I'll try to remember that, and not fall into the
mistake."

"And if I can do anything for you," he went on, awkwardly, "in the way
of schools--or--or--recommendations--you know I promised long ago that
if you ever needed any one--"

"Thank you once more," she said, hurriedly, before he had time to go on.
"I know I can count on your help; and if I require a good word, I shall
not hesitate to ask you for it."

As she slipped away, Pruyn was left with the uncomfortable sense of
having appeared to a disadvantage. He had been stilted and patronizing,
when he had meant to be cordial and kind. On the other hand, he resented
the quickness with which she had read his thoughts, as well as her
perception that he had ground for uneasiness regarding his child. That
she should penetrate the inner shrine of reserve he kept closed against
those who stood nearest to him in the world gave him a sense of injury;
and he turned this feeling to account during the next few hours in
trying to deaden the echo of the French voice with the Irish intonation
that haunted his inner hearing, as well as to banish the memory of the
plaintive smile in which, as he feared, meekness was blended with
amusement at his expense.

VI

If the secret spring worked by James van Tromp had been an active agency
in bringing Diane and Derek P