t!"
she smiled.

"Naturally! a very great difference." Elaine was nervous, she saw. The
fact that Croyden did not come out and stop them, that he let them go
on, was sufficient proof that he had not recognized her.

"You see, I am assuming that you know why I wanted to come to Hampton,"
Elaine said, when, her greeting made to Mrs. Carrington, she had
carried Davila along to her room.

"Yes, dear," Davila responded.

"And you made it very easy for me to come."

"I did as I thought you would want--and as I know you would do with me
were I in a similar position."

"I'm sadly afraid I should not have thought of you, were you----"

"Oh, yes, you would! If you had been in a small town, and Mr. Croyden
had told you of my difficulty----"

"As _Mr. Macloud_ told you of mine--I see, dear."

"Not exactly that," said Davila, blushing. "Mr. Macloud has been very
attentive and very nice and all that, you know, but you mustn't forget
there are not many girls here, and I'm convenient, and--I don't take
him seriously."

"How does he take you?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know--sometimes I think he does, and sometimes I think he
doesn't!" she laughed. "He is an accomplished flirt and difficult to
gauge."

"Well, let me tell you one fact, for your information: there isn't a
more indifferent man in Northumberland. He goes everywhere, is in great
demand, is enormously popular, yet, I've never known him to have even
an affair. He is armor-plated--but he is a dear, a perfect dear,
Davila!"

"I know it!" she said, with heightening color--and Elaine said no more,
then.

"Shall you prefer to meet Mr. Croyden alone, for the first time, or in
company?" Davila asked.

"I confess I don't know, but I think, however, it would be better to
have a few words with Colin, first--if it can be arranged."

Miss Carrington nodded. "Mr. Macloud is to come in a moment before
luncheon, if he can find an excuse that will not include Mr. Croyden."

"Is an excuse difficult to find--or is any, even, needed?"

Elaine smiled.

"He doesn't usually come before four--that's the tea hour in Hampton."

"Tea!" exclaimed Elaine. "If you've got him into the tea habit, you can
do what you want with him--he will eat out of your hand."

"I never tried him with tea," said Davila. "He chose a high ball the
first time--so it's been a high ball ever since."

"With gratifying regularity?"

"I admit it!" laughed Davila.

Elaine sat down on the couch and put