ause I had been up half the night with poor little Patience
Atkinson--and I don't like you to call me a hypocrite, when I only meant
to be kind,' finished Audrey, defending herself bravely in spite of an
inward qualm that told her that perhaps Michael was right.

Michael looked at her with one of his rare smiles; he saw the girl was a
little sore.

'My dear,' he said, taking her hand, 'don't be vexed with me. You know
we always speak the truth to each other. You must not mind my little
joke. After all, your friends love you the better for your innocent
hypocrisy. We all pretend a little; conventionality demands it. Which of
us would have the courage to say to any man, "My good friend, do hold
your tongue--you are simply boring me with these everlasting stories"?'

'But, Michael,' persisted Audrey, for she wanted to make this thing very
clear to herself as well as to him, 'I think you are wrong in one thing:
I am really very seldom bored, as you call it. Even if I do not
understand things--if they are not particularly interesting--it pleases
me to listen to people. Old Dr. Sullivan did look so happy with that row
of nasty little beetles before him, that I was quite pleased to watch
him. You know people always talk so well on a subject that interests
them.'

'I know one thing--that there are very few people in the world so
amiable as a certain young lady of my acquaintance. The world would be a
better place to live in if there were more like her----' But here he
checked himself, for he had long ago learnt the useful lesson that
speech is silvern and silence is golden, and that over-much praise
seldom benefited anyone.

When tea was over, Audrey accompanied Mr. O'Brien round his small
domain, while he proudly commented on the flourishing state of his fruit
and vegetables. Before she left the cottage she contrived to exchange a
few words with Mrs. Baxter, who had remained in the house, and whom she
found in the tiny kitchen washing up the best cups and saucers.

'Girls are mostly careless, Miss Ross,' she explained in an apologetic
manner; 'and Hannah is no better than the rest, so I always wash up
mother's china myself. It would worry me more than I am already if a cup
were to be broken.'

'I am so sorry to hear your husband has been troubling you again, Mrs.
Baxter.'

'Yes, indeed, Miss Ross, and it is a crying shame for Joe to persecute
me as he does. Sometimes I feel I must just run away and hide myself,
his v