as something very old-world and charming about it too, in
spite of rather ugly furniture, and Esther was just admiring the
dressing-table, with its petticoat of spotted muslin and pink ribbons,
when the door opened and June thrust her head round.

"Can I come in?" She did not wait for an answer, but came in, her long
mauve silk kimono making a little rustling sound as she walked.

"I'm really dressed," she explained, sitting down on Esther's bed.
"All but my frock, at least, and as the post has just come, and a
letter from Micky, I thought I'd come and tell you that he'll be down
to-day--after lunch, and he wants us to meet him. I can't go, as I've
got a business appointment at three, so you must. He's going to drive
up to the station and wait there for one of us to come and show him
where we live."

There was a little silence. Esther flushed beneath the elder girl's
shrewd gaze.

"I should have thought he could have found out where we live," she
said rather awkwardly. "And it's such a little way----"

June rose with a great show of dignity.

"Oh, very well, if you don't want to be obliging, but I do think you
might...."

"Silly--of course I will." Esther caught her hand. "I'll go; the
station at three o'clock, and then what am I to do? Bring him here, or
what?"

"Do what you like, my child--I shan't be in till five. Don't let him
be bored, that's all, or he'll go back to town--the one thing Micky
cannot stand is being bored."

Esther made a little grimace.

She felt nervous when at five minutes to three exactly she walked down
the winding road to the station.

June ought to have come herself, she argued; it was a most silly thing
to send her--she hoped he would not come at all; but all the time she
was listening for the sound of a car or a motor-horn. The sleepy-eyed
factotum of the station walked up and stared at her curiously. After a
few turns he ventured to ask if she wanted to go by train.

"No, I'm waiting for a gentleman--I--oh, here he is."

"'Twas her young gentleman for sure," the sleepy-eyed one told his
colleague afterwards. "She blushed up like a rose when she saw him."

Micky noticed that blush, too, as he turned the car with a fine sweep
and came to a standstill.

Esther greeted him with a torrent of explanation.

"June couldn't come, so she made me--she had to go out on business.
She would make me come!"

"It's very kind," Micky said. "I'm later than I expected--the roads
are bad