some
certainty. She is going away soon. Her real companion comes next week."

He nodded that he understood the delicate charge. "And where is Mrs.
Dayton?"

"She went to market, and to do various errands. I should like you to
talk to her about it."

"Yes, I want to," he replied decisively.

Helen went upstairs and was gone quite a while. He was thinking of the
bright, earnest, energetic girl, willing to work her way. He must plan
it out with Mrs. Dayton. She was the one girl out of fifty who could
rise above circumstances. Yet her aunt would be more than vexed,
positively angry.

Mrs. Van Dorn experienced a curious pang, when the girl's face brilliant
with a definite emotion, flashed upon her with ardor in every line. What
had moved her so? The eyes were luminous, the voice freighted with a new
depth.

"Yes," she answered stiffly. "I must see this young man--he is young,
isn't he? It seems to me he has been making a long call."

"Oh, we had so much to talk about, my summer here and all its pleasures,
and the knowledge. Why, I told him I felt as if I had been at school all
the time, I had learned so many things from you, and that you----"

She paused and flushed, wondering if the talk had been just right in the
more delicate sense.

"That I was cross and queer, and full of whims----"

"Oh, I couldn't say that. It was about your journeys, and the people you
had met. And he was so interested."

Mrs. Van Dorn was mollified, and added a few touches to her toilet,
picked up a fleecy scarf, came downstairs with her hand on Helen's
shoulder, and was duly presented. The man _was_ young.

But the lady was an agreeable surprise. He had been a little biased by
Aunt Jane, he admitted to himself. She was like some of the fine old
ladies he had met abroad, who carried their age with a serene
unconsciousness.

Mrs. Dayton was coming up the path, and gave them a little nod.

"Perhaps she would like your service a while, Helen," exclaimed Mrs. Van
Dorn. "I should enjoy having a little talk with your friend."

Helen rose reluctantly. She would much rather have stayed. But in five
minutes she was in full flow of an interested confidence with Mrs.
Dayton, and then they sat down on the north corner of the kitchen porch,
and peeled peaches for the luncheon, as it was getting late.

Mr. Warfield meant to suggest several things to Mrs. Van Dorn that could
tend to Helen's benefit presently. She resolved to learn what he
thou