should not know you, Leam, if you did not snub me. I should think you
were angry with me if you treated me with formal politeness."

He spoke with an honest heart, but an uncomfortable body; and Learn,
turning away her eyes once more, said with a heavy sigh--gravely,
sorrowfully, tenderly even, but as if impelled by respect for truth to
give her verdict as she thought it--"It is true if it is hard: you are
often stupid. You are stupid now, twisting yourself about like that
and making silly speeches. But I like you, for all that, and I respect
you. I would as soon expect the sun to go out as for you to do wrong.
But I wish you would keep still and not talk so much nonsense as you
do."

"Thank you!" cried the poor fellow fervently, his bare bone accepted
as gratefully as if it had been the sweetest fruit that love could
bestow. "You give me all I ask, and more than I deserve, if you say
that. And it is so kind of you to care whether I am awkward or not."

"I do not see the kindness," returned Learn gravely.

"Do you see those two spooning?" asked one of the Fairbairn girls,
pointing out Leam and Alick to Edgar, the curtain being now held back
by Leam to show the world that she was there, not caring to look as if
hiding away with Alick.

"They look very comfortable, and the lady picturesque," he answered
affectedly, but his brows suddenly contracted and his eyes shot
together, as they always did when angry. He had been jealous before
now of that shambling, awkward, ill-favored and true-hearted Alick,
that loyal knight and faithful watchdog whom he despised with such
high-hearted contempt; and he was not pleased to see him paying homage
to the young queen whom he himself had deserted.

"Poor Alick Corfield!" said Adelaide pityingly. "He has been a very
faithful adorer, I must say. I believe that he has been in love with
Leam all his life, while she has held him on and off, and made use of
him when she wanted him, and deserted him when she did not want him,
with the skill of a veteran."

"Do you think Miss Dundas a flirt?" asked Edgar as affectedly as
before.

"Certainly I do, but perhaps not more so than most girls of her kind
and age," was the quiet answer with its pretence of fairness.

"Including yourself?"

She smiled with unruffled amiability. "I am an exception," she said.
"I am neither of her kind nor, thank Goodness! of Tier country; and
I have never seen the man I cared to flirt with. I am more particul