ce one,'
Miss Grizel's glance said; and Helen's replied, with playful eyebrows
and tender lips, 'Isn't he a funny dear?'

'Now, see here,' said Franklin, looking up from his appreciative
retrospect and coming back to the present and its possibilities, 'now
that I've got all this money, you must let me spend a little of it on
having good times. You must let me take you to plays and
concerts--anything you've time for; and I hope, Miss Buchanan,' said
Franklin, turning his bright gaze upon the older lady, 'that I can
persuade you to come too.'

Helen said that she would be delighted, and Miss Grizel avowed herself a
devoted playgoer, and Franklin, taking out his notebook, inscribed their
willingness to do a play on Wednesday night. 'Now,' he said, scanning
its pages, 'Althea lands on Friday and Mr. Digby goes to meet her, I
suppose. They must come in, too; we'll all have fun together.'

'Gerald can't meet her,' said Helen; 'he has an engagement in the
country, and doesn't get back to London till Saturday. It's an old
standing engagement for a ball. I'm to welcome Althea back to London for
him.'

Franklin paused, his notebook in his hand, and looked over it at Helen.
He seemed taken aback, though at once he mastered his surprise. 'Oh, is
that so?' was his only comment. Then he added, after a moment's
reflection: 'Well, I guess I'll run up and meet her myself, then. I've
always met and seen her off in America, and we'll keep up the old custom
on this side.'

'That would be very nice of you,' said Helen. 'Of course she has that
invaluable Amelie to look after her, and, of course, Gerald knew that
she would be all right, or he would have managed it.'

'Of course,' said Franklin. 'And we'll keep up the old custom.'

That evening there arrived for Miss Buchanan and her niece two large
boxes--one for Miss Grizel, containing carnations and roses, and one for
Helen containing violets. Also, for the younger lady, was a smaller--yet
still a large box--of intricately packed and very sophisticated sweets.
Upon them Mr. Kane had laid a card which read: 'I don't approve of them,
but I'm sending them in the hope that you do.' Another box for Miss
Grizel contained fresh groundsel and chickweed for her canaries.

CHAPTER XIX.

Althea was an excellent sailor and her voyage back to England was as
smooth and as swift as money could make it. She had been seen off by
many affectionate friends, and, since leaving America, the l