to the encounter.

She had by this time provided herself with another dress, encouraged to
do so by the money in hand left by the frugal Milly the First. She had
got a plain tailor-made coat and skirt, in a becoming shade of brown;
and with the unbecoming hard collar _de rigueur_ in those days, she wore
a turquoise blue tie, which seemed to reflect the color of her eyes. And
in spite of Tims's dissuasions, she put on the new dress on Thursday,
and declined to screw her hair up in the old way, as advised.

Accordingly on Thursday at twenty-five minutes to four, Mildred
appeared, in answer to a summons, in the quiet-colored, pleasant
drawing-room at Ascham, with its French windows giving on to the lawn,
where some of the girls were playing hockey, not without cries. Her
first view of Aunt Beatrice was a pleasant surprise. A tall, upstanding
figure, draped in a long, soft cloak trimmed with fur, a handsome face
with marked features, marked eyebrows, a fine complexion and bright
brown eyes under a wide-brimmed felt hat.

Having exchanged the customary peck, she waited in silence till Mildred
had seated herself. Then surveying her niece with satisfaction:

"Come, Milly," said she, in a full, pleasant voice; "I don't see much
signs of the nervous invalid about you. Really, Polly," turning to Miss
Burt, "she has not looked so well for a long time."

"She's been much better since she dropped her work," replied Miss Burt.

"Taking plenty of fresh air and exercise, I suppose"--Aunt Beatrice
smiled kindly on her niece--"I'm afraid I've kept you from your hockey
this afternoon, Milly."

"Oh no, Aunt Beatrice, certainly not," replied Milly, with the extreme
courtesy of nervousness. "I never play hockey now."

Lady Thomson turned to the Head with a shade of triumph in her
satisfaction.

"There, Polly! What did I tell you? I was sure there was something else
at the bottom of it. Steady work, methodically done, never hurt anybody.
But of course if she's given up exercise, her liver or something was
bound to get out of order."

"No, really, I take lots of exercise," interposed Milly; "only I don't
care for hockey, it's such a horrid, rough, dirty game; don't you think
so? And Miss Walker got a front tooth broken last winter."

Lady Thomson looked at her in a surprised way.

"Well, if you've not been playing hockey, what exercise have you been
taking?"

"Walks," replied Milly, feebly, feeling herself on the wrong track; "I