me one thing to start with. Which, in your opinion, makes
the most noise at breakfast, a girl's school, or the Danvers family?"

"Oh, I do not know, because I have never----" began Margaret, and then
stopped in great confusion, realising that she had been about to say that
she had never seen a girl's school at breakfast, and conscious that Joan,
who had overheard Geoffrey's question and her answer, was staring across
at her in obvious astonishment.

"Why, I thought you had come fresh from a school, Miss Carson," she said.

Before Margaret had time to answer a shout of laughter from Maud and the
two boys on either side of her drowned all chance of any one making their
voice heard at the other end of the table, and by the time comparative
quiet was restored Margaret had collected her wits, and had remembered
the part she was playing. She did not even look disconcerted when
Geoffrey, whose attention had been momentarily diverted from her by the
noise at the other end of the table, said thoughtfully:--

"You know, if the remark isn't rather a personal one--which it is by the
way--you aren't my idea of a governess a bit."

For it was so evident that he entertained no suspicion at all of the real
facts of the case that she saw there was no occasion for alarm. She even
smiled as she asked him in her prim, old-fashioned way in what respect
she then differed from the picture of a governess he had in his mind's
eye.

"Well, it isn't exactly that you look too young, for I know governesses
at girl's schools are young nowadays, and that they play games, and all
that. But you don't look to me quite self-confident or self-opinionated
enough. Eh! What do you think, Joan? Is Miss Carson your idea of a school
governess either?"

"No," said Joan promptly; and then Margaret, who could not know that Joan
had answered in the negative with the idea of giving the reply that she
fancied Margaret would like least, did change countenance a little. For
Joan's "No" was so very decisive. And it did not make her feel any the
more comfortable to know that Joan's eyes were fixed unblinkingly, and
pitilessly, on her blushes. For a moment Joan stared and Margaret
blushed, the latter miserably conscious meanwhile that if she wanted to
draw down suspicion upon herself she had only to continue to sit there
and look the picture of guilt, and the thing was done.

"Not a bit," Joan added with much emphasis, and in the amiable hope of
seeing Margaret lo