illy. I don't understand you, but I hate hints. Miss
Mills hints things sometimes, and oh, how I detest her when she does!
and you're hinting now, and it is something against Hilda."

"Against Hilda? Oh, good gracious, child, what an awful cram!"

"It isn't a cram, it is true. I can't explain it, but I know you're
hinting something against darling Hilda. Why should you say that Jasper
will be disappointed? Isn't she going away with him some day? and aren't
they going to live in--in a horrid--a horrid _flat_ together, and she
won't even have a garden, nor fowls, nor flowers? And you say Jasper
will be disappointed. Everything is going when Hilda goes, and you speak
as if Jasper wasn't the very luckiest person in all the wide world. _I_
know what it means; yes, I know. Oh, Milly, I'm so unhappy. Oh, Milly,
what _shall_ I do when Hilda goes away?"

Mildred was impulsive and kind-hearted, notwithstanding the very decided
fit of jealousy which was now over her. She put her arm round Judy and
tried to comfort her.

"You poor little thing," she said, "you poor little jealous, miserable
mite. How could you think you were going to keep your Hilda always?
There, Judy, there, darling, I really am sorry for you--I really am, but
you know Hilda is pretty and sweet, and someone wants her to make
another home beautiful. There, I'll say something to comfort you--I'll
eat all the words I have already uttered, and tell you emphatically from
my heart of hearts that Hilda is too good for Jasper Quentyns."

"Judy, Judy, Judy! I have found the wasp," shouted Babs.

Judy dried her eyes hastily, kissed Mildred, and ran across the lawn to
her little sister.

"What a queer child Judy Merton is," said Mildred to herself. "What
tempestuous little creatures some children are. How passionately she
spoke about Hilda, and now her whole heart and soul are devoted to the
rescuing of a miserable insect. Yes, of course Jasper is not good enough
for Hilda. He has plenty of faults, he is not the prince I have been
looking for, and yet--and yet----"

Her heart beat quickly, the color rushed into her face, she felt her
firm lips tremble, and knew that her eyes were shining with unusual
brilliance. Someone was coming along the path to meet her. A man with
the sunlight shining all over him--an athletic figure, who walked with
the swift bounding step of youth. He was Jasper Quentyns.

"Hullo!" he called, catching sight of her. "I was fortunate in gettin