ied that Millicent was not pleased to see her, Bella sat down
upon a stone.

"In a way, the anxiety that Lisle and the rest have shown to find
Clarence is flattering," she began, expressing part of her thoughts. "I
wonder if they'd all have gone off in such a hurry if Jim had got lost."

"Your brother knows the bush," returned Millicent, hiding her fears.

Bella did not respond to this. She had decided that Millicent must not be
allowed to marry Gladwyne, but she could not bring herself to denounce
the man. If that must be done, somebody else would have to undertake the
task. At the same time, she felt it incumbent on her to give the girl
some warning, or at least to find out how far her confidence in her lover
went, in order to determine how advice could best be offered.

"I wonder if you feel quite sure you will be happy with Clarence?" she
ventured.

"You have provoked the retort--were you convinced that you would be happy
with Arthur Carew, when you made up your mind to marry him so suddenly?"

Bella's smile expressed forbearance. It was getting dark, but she could
see the hot flush in her companion's cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes.
Neither was encouraging, but Bella was not easily, daunted, and she felt
that her persistence was really meritorious, considering that until
lately Millicent had never been cordial to her.

"Perhaps I'd better answer," she said sweetly. "I was sure of Arthur, and
that means a good deal more than that I knew he was in love with me--I
don't suppose you heard that he'd proposed to me once before?"

"Why didn't you take him then?" Millicent asked coldly. "Remember you
have justified my being personal."

Bella grew rather hot--when Carew had made his first offer she had been
in eager pursuit of Gladwyne--but she sternly suppressed a desire to
retaliate.

"I don't think we need go into that," she replied. "As I said, I was sure
of Arthur--I knew his character, knew he was better than I am, that he
could be depended on. He's the kind of man one is safe with; I felt that
the more I saw of him, the more I could trust him. Perhaps the feeling's
a safer guide than passion--it stands longer wear--and now I'm getting to
like him better every day."

Her voice dropped to a tender note and Millicent felt a little
astonished, and ashamed of her harshness. This was a new Bella, one in
whose existence she could hardly have believed.

"I haven't quite finished, though I don't often talk lik