rl,

"What you tell me puts me in a huge whirl of surprise and excitement.
I suppose I am a very vain mother when I say that I am not one little
bit astonished that Dr. Middleton proposes to marry you. But you must
not imagine for a moment that I think you were foolish in listening
to his offer. For many reasons, a very young pretty girl is safer
under the protection and care of a man a good deal older than
herself. Dr. Middleton in his prominent position in Oxford would not
promise to share his life and his home with you unless he really
meant to make you very, very happy, darling. May your future life as
mistress of the Lodgings be a veritable day-dream. Tell him how much
I long to come; but I can't till Saturday as I have promised to help
Bee with a concert on Friday; it is an engagement of honour, and you
know one must play up trumps. I rush this off to the post. My love,
darling,

"Your own

"Mother."

Gwen had found a slip of paper folded in the letter, on which was
written in pencil, "Of course you are engaged. Dr. Middleton is pledged
to you. Tear up this slip of paper as soon as you have read it, and give
my letter to you to the Warden to read. This is all-important. Let me
know when you have given it to him."

Gwen had read and had burned the slip of paper, and had even poked the
ashes well into the red of the fire.

When that was done, she had walked about the room excitedly.

How was it possible to dress quietly when the world had suddenly become
so dreadfully thrilling? So, after all her doubt and despair, after all
her worry, she was engaged. It was all right! All she had to do was to
give her mother's letter to the Warden and the matter was concluded. She
was going to be Mrs. Middleton, and mistress of the Lodgings. How
thrilling! How splendid it was of her mother to make it so plain and
easy! And yet, how was she to put the letter into the Warden's hands?
What was she to say when she handed the letter to him?

When Louise appeared to attend to Gwen's dress, she found that young
lady fastening up her black tresses with hands that showed suppressed
excitement, and her eyes and cheeks were glowing.

She turned and glanced at Louise. "I'm late, as usual, I suppose," she
said and laughed.

"Mademoiselle has the appearance of being _tres