hat miserable day in August. "Mrs. Madgwick says so, and Lady Martin. I
heard them--and lots of other people say so too. I thought it wasn't
true at first--and then I saw it was. I asked Mr. Herrick, and he told
me to read and educate myself and then I could be useful to you--and
instead of that you went and got that perfectly hateful Miss Loder, and
everyone knows it was because you were sick of me trying to help you and
doing it so badly."

Owen's face as he listened to this speech was a study in bewilderment.
The introduction of Herrick's name puzzled him considerably; and
although he frowned at Toni's description of Miss Loder, he realized
that by some means Toni had been made unhappy over her own position as
his wife.

"See here, Toni, I don't quite understand." He looked at her keenly.
"Who says you are ignorant--and all the rest? And what on earth has
Herrick to do with our affairs?"

"I told him--he saw me crying and asked me why. It was at the Vicarage
Bazaar--I was sitting in a summer-house and Lady Martin and Mrs.
Madgwick were outside, and they began to talk about me and they said all
those horrible things----"

"Toni, were you obliged to listen? Couldn't you have got away!"

"No." She lifted her clear eyes to his and he repented his question. "I
couldn't come out when they had begun; and I didn't know at first that
they were talking secrets."

Her childish phraseology made Owen smile in the midst of his annoyance.

"So Mr. Herrick advised you to read? Well, Toni, that was good advice."

"Yes--and I took it," she said eagerly. "I read heaps and heaps of dull
books and worked at French--and poetry--and then when I tried to help
you, you wouldn't let me. You brought that horrid Loder here instead."

Her reiteration of Miss Loder's name jarred. Owen had been genuinely
surprised and interested by this revelation, and if Toni had been wise
enough to stick to her own side of the affair, it is probable she would
have captured Owen's sympathy, and, incidentally, his heart; but she
weakened her case by her senseless prejudice against Millicent Loder;
and with a quick sense of irritation Owen told himself that she was only
jealous--in a purely unsentimental way--after all.

She had never liked being ousted from her position, as would-be helper;
but Owen knew--or fancied he did--the exact value of her aid; and after
all his work was too important for him to run the risk of spoiling it by
any lack of efficien