"It was _very_ ungentlemanly of you!"

"Guilty," he admitted again--but not meekly. There was a sparkle in his
eye. "But it isn't often, you see, that a man gets a chance to take
notes like this. An open door--it's an invitation to look in. Now, the
Gay Lady doesn't leave her door open, except by chance, but I know how
it looks inside--by the Gay Lady herself."

"How?" I questioned, my curiosity getting the better of me. "I mean--how
can you tell by the look of the Gay Lady that she keeps her room in
order?--for she certainly does."

"I knew it," said he triumphantly.

"But how?"

"And I know that you keep yours in order."

"But _how_?"

"Oh, you think we are creatures of no discernment," said he. "But we can
see a few things. When a woman, no matter how pretty, pins the back of
her collar with a common brass pin----"

I felt of the back of my white stock. Of course I never use them, but
his eyes are so keen and----

He laughed. "The Philosopher liked Miss Althea."

"She has many lovely qualities----" I began.

"Of course. That sort always have. It's their beautiful good-nature that
makes them so easy on themselves. Er--by-the-way----Well, well----"

The Skeptic's gaze had fallen upon the brown marks on the white wall,
above the lamp. There were now twenty-seven in all. He got up from his
bushel-basket and walked over to them. He stood and studied them for a
minute in silence. Finally he turned around, looked at me, made a dive
for the bushel-basket and the hoe, and hurried out of the door.

"I'll bring up a pail of whitewash," he called.

* * * * *

I shall ask Althea again some time. She really has a great many lovely
qualities, as I said to the Skeptic. But there is a little room I have,
which I do not call a guest-room, into which I shall put Althea. It has
a sort of chocolate paper on the walls, on which I do not think the
marks of matches would much show, and it has a general suitableness to
this particular guest. I have sometimes harboured small boys there, for
the toilet appointments are done in red on brown linen, and curling
irons could be laid on them without serious damage. And I've no doubt
that she would like that room quite as well.

II

CAMELLIA

You thought to break a country heart
For pastime, ere you went to town.
--_Tennyson._

"Did you say Camellia is going to stop here on her way home?" asked the
Gay Lady.

"For a few