ll you,
some time or other. I asked her whose were the goloshes; the umbrella
with the--er--decided figure; the suspended cap and gown. Martha said
they were the Professor's. I inquired whether the Professor stayed to
tea. You really can't blame me for asking that; because I had gone to
the kitchen for the express purpose of carrying out the tea-tray, yours
and mine; but _not_ the Professor's. No possible pleasure could have
resulted, either to you, or to me, or to the Professor, from my
unexpected appearance with the tea-tray, if the Professor had been
there. Now could it? I think it would be nice of you, dear, and only
fair, if, remembering the peculiar circumstances of that afternoon, you
just said: 'No; it couldn't.'

"Well, I asked Martha whether the Professor stayed to tea, and heard
that 'Thank goodness, no!' we drew the line at that, except when Miss
_H_ann came too. With the awful possibility of Miss _H_ann 'coming
too,' on one of my priceless days, I naturally desired a little light
thrown on Miss _H_ann. I was considerably relieved to learn that Miss
_H_ann suffers from the peculiar complaint--mental, I gather--of
'fancying herself in a bath-chair.' This might be no hindrance to the
'_h_egging on' propensities, but it certainly diminished the chances of
the 'coming too.' That was all, dear."

"Boy, you ought to have been ashamed of yourself!"

"So I was, the moment I saw you walk down the lawn. But you really
needn't look so indignant. I was working for you, at the same time."

"Working for me?"

"Yes, dear. I told Martha her wisps would look nicer if she curled
them. I also suggested 'invisible pins.' If you like I will tell you
how I came to know about 'invisible pins'; but it is a very long story,
and not _specially_ interesting, for the lady in the case was my
great-aunt."

"Oh, Boy," said Miss Charteris, laughing in spite of herself; "I wish
you were the size of my Little Boy Blue on the sands at Dovercourt. I
would dearly like to shake you."

"Well," he said, "you did more than shake me, just now. You gave me
about the worst five minutes I ever had in my life. Christobel? You
don't really care about the Professor?"

"Boy, dear, I really do. I have cared about him very much, for years."

"Yes, as a woman loves a book; but not as a woman loves a man."

"Explain your meaning, please."

"Oh, hang it all!" exclaimed the Boy, violently. "Do you love his
mouth, his eyes, his