T. Smith,
_nee_) and help him start a class in hat-trimming, to train girls for
shop assistants. Or perhaps I'll learn cooking instead...."

"He seems to have aired his views to you pretty thoroughly," said
Canning, dryly.

He rose to go, a little later, rather amused by the skill with which he
had been held off. He admired the piquancy of spirit with which she took
advantage of the altered positions. For him tameness was the great
disillusionizer; his undefined ideal was a woman who must be won anew
every day. Still, he had been rubbed a little the wrong way by the
new-woman catch-phrases she had picked up somewhere, by the faintly
argumentative note in her conversation....

"Plans for to-morrow!... By the way," said Cally, glancing away to
conceal a smile as she rose, "how long shall you be in town?"

"Just as long, Miss Heth, as my business here makes necessary."

"What can I say to that?... If I say I hope you won't be with us long,
it sounds quite rude. And if I say I hope it will be very, very
long ..."

But he would not follow that lead now. His instinct, her expression
warned him; and he was fully resolved that when he spoke again, it would
be to land this "wild sweet thing" fluttering safe in his net. However,
his laugh was not quite natural.

"I may," said he, "get a telegram calling me off, at almost any minute.
Let every one be kind to the stranger within the gates. May I nominate
myself for luncheon?"

He was unanimously elected. This time, at parting, he did not touch his
former betrothed's hand. His bow was accompanied by a slightly ironic
smile; it seemed to say: "Since you prefer it this way, my dear ... But
really--what's the use?"

Cally, snapping out the lights, felt vaguely depressed.

* * * * *

Next day, half an hour after luncheon, Hugo said to the greatest admirer
he had on earth:

"Where did Carlisle get the notion that she wanted to go in for
Settlement work?"

Mrs. Heth's reply, delivered with a beam, was masterly in its way.

"Why, my dear Hugo! Don't you know the sorry little makeshifts women go
to, waiting for love to come to them?"

Hugo's comment intimated that he had fancied it was something of the
sort. He then went out, to his future mother-in-law's regret; she often
wondered how it was that she and Hugo had so few good talks.

Her two young people, as the good lady loved to call them once more, had
separated almost from the table, b