he Sir Joshua pictures there,
you know, and it was a great favourite of my mother's in her girlhood.
Indeed she saved up her pin-money for nearly two years that she might
have a good copy of it made to hang in her bedroom where she could
look at it night and morning."

"Then you were named after the picture?"

"I was named from the memory of it," said Robinette, trailing her hand
through the clear water. "Mother took nothing to America with her but
my father's love (there was so much of that, it made up for all she
left behind), so the picture was thousands of miles away when I was
born. Mother told me that when I was first put into her arms she
thought suddenly, as she saw my dark head, 'Here is my own Robinetta,
in place of the one I left behind,' and fell asleep straight away,
full of joy and content."

"And they shortened the name to Robinette?"

"I was christened properly enough," she answered. "It was the world
that clipped my name's little wings; the world refuses to take me
seriously; I can't think why, I'm sure; I never regarded _it_ as a
joke."

"A joke," said Lavendar reflectively; "it's a sort of grim one at
times; and yet it's funny too," he said, suddenly raising his eyes.

"Now that's the odd thing I was thinking as I looked at you just now,"
Robinette said frankly. "You seem so deadly solemn until you look up
and laugh--and then you _do_ laugh, you know. That's the French
grandmother again! It was nice in her to marry your grandfather! It
helped a lot!"

He laughed then certainly, and so did she, and then pointed out to him
that they were being slowly drifted out of their course, and that if
he meant to get across to the landing-stage he must row a little
harder.

"I have met American women casually;" he said, bending to his oars,
"but I have never known one well."

"It's rather too bad to disturb the tranquillity of your impressions,"
returned Mrs. Loring composedly.

Lavendar looked up with another twinkle. She seemed to provoke
twinkles; he did not realize he had so many in stock.

"You mean American women are not painted in quite the right colours?"

"I suppose black _is_ a colour?"

"Oh! I see your point of view!" and Lavendar twinkled again.

"I can tell you in five sentences exactly what you have heard about
us. Will you say whether I am right? If you refuse I'll put you in the
witness box and then you'll be forced to speak!"

"Very well; proceed."

"One: We are clever, good