asonable, dear. Mrs. Collis does not desire to know me. Why should
she? Why should you wish to have me meet her? If you have any vague
ideas that my meeting her might in any possible way alter a situation
which must always exist between your family and myself, you are utterly
mistaken, dearest.

"And my acquaintance with Miss Swift is so slight--I never saw her but
once, and then only for a moment!--that it would be only painful and
embarrassing to her if you asked her to call on me. Besides, you are a
man and you don't understand such things. Also, Mrs. Collis and Miss
Swift have only the slightest and most formal acquaintance with Helene;
and it is very plain that they are as content with that acquaintance as
is Helene. And in addition to that, you dear stupid boy, your family has
carefully ignored Mr. Cardemon for years, although he is their
neighbour; and Mr. Cardemon is here. And to cap the climax, your father
and mother are at Ashuelyn. _Can't_ you understand?

"Dearest of men, don't put your family and yourself--and me--into such a
false position. I know you won't when I have explained it; I know you
trust me; I know you love me dearly.

"We had a straw ride. There's no new straw, of course, so we had a wagon
filled with straw from one of the barns and we drove to Lake Gentian and
Querida was glorious in the moonlight with his guitar.

"He's so nice to me now--so like himself. But I _hate_ Penrhyn Cardemon
and I wish he would go; and he's taken a fancy to me, and for Helene's
sake I don't snub him--the unmitigated cad!

"However, it takes all kinds to make even the smallest of house parties;
and I continue to be very happy and to write to you every day.

"Sam is queer. I'm beginning to wonder whether he is really in love with
Helene. If he isn't he ought to have his knuckles rapped. Of course,
Helene will be sensible about it. But, Louis, when a really nice man
behaves as though he were in love with a woman, no matter how gaily she
laughs over it, it is bound to mean _something_ to her. And men don't
seem to understand that."

"Mrs. Hind-Willet departs to-morrow. Sam and Harry go to Ashuelyn; Mr.
Cardemon to his rural palace, I devoutly trust; which will leave Jose to
Helene and me; and he's equal to it.

"How long may I stay, dear? I am having a heavenly time--which is odd
because heaven is in New York just now."

Another letter in answer to one of his was briefer:

"My Darling:

"Certainly you must