g your pardon; that is--" The disconcerting rapidity
with which Mr. Rae's smile gave place to an appearance of grave, of even
severe solemnity, threw Miss Brodie quite "out of her stride," as
Martin said afterward, and left her floundering in a hopeless attempt to
complete her compliment.

Her confusion was the occasion of unlimited joy to "Lily," who was not
unfamiliar with this facial phenomenon on the part of Mr. Rae. "Oh, I
say!" he cried to Dunn in a gale of smothered laughter, "how does the
dear man do it? It is really too lovely! I must learn the trick of that.
I have never seen anything quite so appallingly flabbergasting."

Meantime Mr. Rae was blandly assisting Miss Brodie out of her dilemma.
"Not at all, Miss Brodie, not at all! But," he continued, throwing
his smile about the room, "I think, Doctor Dunn, we have reason to
congratulate ourselves upon not only a pleasant but an extremely
profitable evening--ah--as far as the matter in hand is concerned. I
hope to have further speech with our young friend," bowing to Mr. Martin
and bringing his smile to bear upon that young gentleman.

"Oh, certainly," began Martin with ready geniality, "whenever you--eh?
What did you say, Sir? I didn't quite--"

But Mr. Rae was already bidding Mrs. Dunn goodnight, with a face of
preternatural gravity.

"What the deuce!" said Martin, turning to his friend Dunn. "Does the old
boy often go off at half-cock that way? He'll hurt himself some time,
sure."

"Isn't it awful?" said Dunn. "He's got me a few times that way, too. But
I say, old boy, we're awfully grateful to you for coming."

"I feel like a fool," said Martin; "as if I'd been delivering a
lecture."

"Don't think it," cried Miss Brodie, who had drawn near. "You've been
perfectly lovely, and I am so glad to have got to know you better. For
me, I am quite resolved to go to Canada."

"But do you think they can really spare us all, Miss Brodie?" exclaimed
"Lily" in an anxious voice. "For, of course, if you go we must."

"No, 'Lily,' I'm quite sure they can't spare you. Just think, what could
the Browning-Wagner circle do? Besides, what could we do with you when
we were all working, for I can quite see that there is no use going to
Canada unless you mean to work?"

"You've got it, Miss Brodie," said Martin. "My lecture is not in vain.
There is no use going to Canada unless you mean to work and to stay with
the job till the cows come home."

"Till the cows come--?