the touch of humor, but during their first
meal was more silent than usual.

"I did not tell thee, Margaret," said Mrs. Swanwick, "that William
Westcott was here yesterday at sundown. I have no liking for him. I
said thou wert out."

"But I was only in the garden."

"I did say thou wert out, but not in the garden."

Schmidt smiled again as he set his teaspoon across his cup, the
conventional sign that he wished no more tea.

Then the girl, with fresh animation, asked eagerly: "Oh, mother, I
forgot; am I to have the book Ann Bingham thought delightful, and her
father told thee I should read?"

"I am not so minded," replied the mother, and this seemed to end the
matter. De Courval listened, amused, as again the girl asked cheerfully:

"Aunt Gainor will be here to take me with her to see some china, mother,
at twelve. May I not go?"

"No, not to-day. There is the cider of last fall we must bottle, and I
shall want thy help. The last time," she said, smiling, "thou didst
fetch home a heathen god--green he was, and had goggle eyes. What would
Friend Pennington say to that?"

"But I do not pray to it."

"My child!" said the mother, and then: "If thou didst pray to all Aunt
Gainor's gods, thou wouldst be kept busy. I have my hands full with thee
and Gainor Wynne's fal-lals and thy Uncle Langstroth's follies." She
smiled kindly as she spoke, and again the girl quietly accepted the
denial of her request, while De Courval listened with interest and
amusement.

"I shall go with Miss Wynne," said Schmidt, "and buy you a brigade of
china gods. I will fill the house with them, Margaret." He laughed.

"Thou wilt do nothing of the kind," said Mrs. Swanwick.

"Well, Nanny would break them pretty soon. Brief would be the lives of
those immortals. But I forgot; I have a book for thee, Pearl."

De Courval looked up. "Yes," he thought; "the Pearl, Marguerite. It does
seem to suit."

"And what is it?" said the mother. "I am a little afraid of thee and thy
books."

"'The Vicar of Wakefield' it is called; not very new, but you will like
it, Pearl."

"I might see it myself first."

"When Pearl and I think it fit for thee," said Schmidt, demurely. "I did
see also in the shop Job Scott's 'The Opening of the Inward Eye, or
Righteousness Revealed.' I would fetch thee that--for thyself."

The hostess laughed. "He is very naughty, Friend de Courval," she said,
"but not as wicked as he seems." Very clearly Schmidt was a privi