some tea," said Miss Mehitable, wiping her eyes.

CHAPTER XV

The Clouds Disperse

And so with the entrance into that automobile began still another
chapter in Geraldine Melody's life. While they drove through the
attractive avenues of the resort and Mrs. Barry pointed out the cottages
belonging to well-known people, the young girl was making an effort for
her own self-possession. To be alone with the mother of her knight was
exciting, and her determination was not to allow any emotion to be
observable in her manner. She did not yet know whether she was present
as a seamstress or as a guest. She felt that in either case she had been
summoned for inspection, for of course Ben had left his mother in no
doubt as to his sentiments. Mrs. Barry evinced no embarrassment. Her
smooth monologue flowed on without a question. Perhaps she suspected the
tumult in the fluttering heart beside her, and was giving the young girl
time. At all events, nothing that she said required an answer, and
Geraldine obediently looked, unseeing, at every object she pointed out.

The motor rolled across a bridge. "Here you see Keefeport even boasts a
little river," said Mrs. Barry. "The young people can enjoy a mild canoe
trip as well as their exciting yachting. I am going to stop at my
cottage and give a few orders, so long as I am here."

Another five minutes of swift riding brought them to the driveway
leading to a cottage placed on a rocky height close to the sea. "We have
a rather wonderful view, you see," Mrs. Barry's calm voice went on.
"Perhaps you would like to get out and walk about the piazza while I
speak with the caretaker."

Geraldine followed her out of the luxurious car, feeling very small and
insignificant and resenting the sensation made upon her by the imposing
surroundings. She wished herself back with Miss Upton and the cat; but
she mounted the steps and stood on the wide porch looking on the jagged
rocks beneath. The sea came hissing in among them, flinging up spray and
dragging back noisily in the strong wind to make ready for another
onslaught. The vast view was superb and suggested all the poems she had
ever read about the sea. Mrs. Barry had gone into the house and now came
out with the caretakers, a man and wife, with whom she examined the
progress of flowers and vines growing in sheltered nooks. Geraldine
resolutely shut out memories of her knight. The girls whose summers were
spent among these scenes were hi