lbraith and Celestina betook themselves to a shaded corner,
there to exchange felicitations on Miss Morton's nephew; Roger,
Cynthia, and Bob perched on the broad piazza rail and discussed the
recent boat race; and Madam Lee was left alone with Delight. Robert
Morton looked in vain for Mr. Snelling but he was nowhere to be seen,
and presently he learned that that gentleman had taken one of the cars
and gone for an afternoon's spin to Sawyer's Falls. Whether his
absence was a contributory cause or not, certain it was that for the
time being at least Cynthia lapsed into her customary friendly manner
and quite outdid herself in graciousness.

Bob relaxed his tension. The afternoon was moving on with more
serenity than he had dared hope, and inwardly he began to congratulate
himself on the success of it. To judge from appearance every one was
in the serenest frame of mind. Willie was beaming into his host's
face, and both men were laughing immoderately; Celestina, from the
snatches of conversation that reached him, was relating for Mrs.
Galbraith's benefit the symptoms of her late illness; and Madam Lee was
chatting with Delight as with an old-time friend. Bob longed to join
them, but prudence forbade his leaving Cynthia's side. Moreover he
suspected the tete-a-tete was of the old lady's arranging and he dared
not break in on it. If Madam Lee desired his presence, she was quite
capable of commanding it by one of those characteristically imperious
waves of her hand. But she did not summon him. Instead she sat with
her keen little eyes fixed on the girl opposite as if fascinated by her
beauty. Once Bob heard her ask Delight of the Brewsters and caught
fragments that indicated they were talking of the child's early life in
the village.

It was Celestina who at length broke in on the conversation.

"I guess we must be thinkin' of goin', Delight, don't you? We have a
long ride back, you know."

"Delight!" echoed Madam Lee, repeating the word with surprise.

"A queer name, ain't it?" Celestina put in. "So old-fashioned an'
uncommon! When the child first come here folks couldn't believe but
'twas a pet name her dad had given her; but the little thing insisted
'twas what she was christened."

"Father said I was named for my mother and my grandmother, Delight Lee."

There was a gasp from the stately old lady in the chair. With
convulsive grasp she caught and held the girl's wrist.

"Your father was Ralph Hatha