ay redeem them
temporarily into beauty; and, permanently, into a thing one loves to
remember."

"I see," said Jane. "It must have often helped you to a right view to
have realised that so long ago. But now let us return to the important
question of the face which you ARE to have daily opposite you at table.
It cannot be Lady Brand's, nor can it be Myra's; but, you know, Dal, a
very lovely one is being suggested for the position."

"No names, please," said Garth, quickly. "I object to girls' names
being mentioned in this sort of conversation."

"Very well, dear boy. I understand and respect your objection. You have
made her famous already by your impressionist portrait of her, and I
hear you are to do a more elaborate picture 'in the fall.' Now, Dal,
you know you admire her immensely. She is lovely, she is charming, she
hails from the land whose women, when they possess charm, unite with it
a freshness and a piquancy which place them beyond compare. In some
ways you are so unique yourself that you ought to have a wife with a
certain amount of originality. Now, I hardly know how far the opinion
of your friends would influence you in such a matter, but you may like
to hear how fully they approve your very open allegiance to--shall we
say--the beautiful 'Stars and Stripes'?"

Garth Dalmain took out his cigarette case, carefully selected a
cigarette, and sat with it between his fingers in absorbed
contemplation.

"Smoke," said Jane.

"Thanks," said Garth. He struck a match and very deliberately lighted
his cigarette. As he flung away the vesta the breeze caught it and it
fell on the lawn, flaming brightly. Garth sprang up and extinguished
it, then drew his chair more exactly opposite to Jane's and lay back,
smoking meditatively, and watching the little rings he blew, mount into
the cedar branches, expand, fade, and vanish.

Jane was watching him. The varied and characteristic ways in which her
friends lighted and smoked their cigarettes always interested Jane.
There were at least a dozen young men of whom she could have given the
names upon hearing a description of their method. Also, she had learned
from Deryck Brand the value of silences in an important conversation,
and the art of not weakening a statement by a postscript.

At last Garth spoke.

"I wonder why the smoke is that lovely pale blue as it curls up from
the cigarette, and a greyish-white if one blows it out."

Jane knew it was because it had become