possible," I said gravely. "Does he stay long?"

"I should think that might depend," answered Jenny. She laughed again as
she added, "Not even you can ask 'On what?'"

CHAPTER X

A FRIENDLY GLASS

I hope that my company on the morning rides was agreeable to Jenny, but
I cannot be persuaded that it was necessary; she showed such perfect
ability to handle a situation which, if not precisely difficult, might
easily have become so under less skillful management. There had, of
course, never been any serious love-making between her and Lacey;
whatever he may have been inclined to feel, or to tell himself that he
felt, she had always kept him to his position as "a boy." Yet young
women in the twenties do not always scorn the attentions of boys, and
Jenny had certainly not despised Lacey's. In fact, they had flirted, and
flirted pretty hard--and, as has been seen, Jenny was at no trouble to
deny it. But now the thing had to stop--or rather the flirtation had to
be transformed, the friendship established on a new basis. Into this
task Jenny put some of her best work. Her finest weapon was a frank
cordiality--such as could not but delight a friend, but was really
hopeless for a lover. To every advance it opposed a shield of shining
friendliness, of a hearty, almost masculine, comradeship. It left no
room for the attacks and defenses, the challenges and evasions, the
pursuit, the flight, and the collusive capture. It was all such
immensely plain sailing, all so pre-eminently above-board, in its
unmitigated cunning. But it was charming also, and Lacey, though
naturally a little puzzled at first, soon felt the charm. He was wax in
those clever hands; she seemed to be able not only to make him do what
she wanted, but even to make him feel toward her as she wished--to
impart to his emotions the color which she desired them to take.
Positively I think he began to forget the flirtation in the friendship,
or to charge his memory with twisting or misinterpreting the facts. All
the time, though, he would have been ready to resume the old footing at
the smallest encouragement, the lightest touch of coquetry or
allurement. But Jenny's masterpiece of honest friendship was without any
such flaw; if she was great at flirtation, she was no less a mistress of
the art of baffling it. With such ability and such self-confidence what
need had she of my presence? She was wiser than I was when I put that
question to myself. I thought only