enthusiastic than his first born; he never failed to assure
Aileen when she was a guest in his house--an event that became a weekly
matter as she grew older--that her lot had fallen in pleasant places;
that to his friend, Mrs. Googe, and her son, Champney, she was indebted
for the new industrial life which brought with it such advantages to one
and all in Flamsted.

To Aurora Googe, the mother of her imaginative ideal, Aileen, attracted
from the first by her beauty and motherly kindness towards an orphan
waif, gave a child's demonstrative love, afterwards a girl's adoration.
In all this devotion she was abetted by Elvira Caukins to whom Aurora
Googe had always been an ideal of womanhood. Moreover, Aileen came to
know during these years of Champney Googe's absence that his mother
worshipped in reality where she herself worshipped in imagination.

Thus the ground was made ready for the seed. Small wonder that the
flowering of love in this warm Irish heart was immediate, when Champney
Googe, on the second day after his home-coming, questioned her with that
careless challenge in his eyes:

"You wouldn't?"

* * * * *

The sun set before she left the boat house. She ran up the steps to the
terrace and, not finding Mrs. Champney there, sought her in the house.
She found her in the library, seated in her easy chair which she had
turned to face the portrait of her husband, over the fireplace.

"Why didn't you call me to help you in, Mrs. Champney? I blame myself
for not coming sooner."

"I really feel stronger and thought I might as well try it; there is
always a first time--and you were with Champney, weren't you?"

"I? Why no--what made you think that?" Mrs. Champney noticed the slight
hesitation before the question was put so indifferently, and the quick
red that mounted in the girl's cheeks. "Mr. Googe went off half an hour
ago with Rag tagging on behind."

"Then he conquered as usual."

"I don't know whether I should call it 'conquering' or not; Rag didn't
want to go, that was plain enough to see."

"What made him go then?"

Aileen laughed out. "That's just what I'd like to know myself."

"What do you think of him?"

"Who?--Rag or Mr. Googe?"

She was always herself with Mrs. Champney, and her daring spirit of
mischief rarely gave offence to the mistress of Champ-au-Haut. But by
the tone of voice in which she answered, Aileen knew that, without
intention, she had irritated h