she hadn't been the sort of person who
confides at first sight we should have learned each other's names at
the beginning and been on guard. The truth is, I had thought of no one
but Tom Beckett in her confessions; the personality of "the other man"
had stolen into the chronicle so late in the day that I had taken no
interest in him.

"Are you Amy Darling?" I asked her plump.

"Yes, but how mean of you to pump Blossom! I wanted to go on thinking
of you as Zuleika and have you call me something imaginary and
romantic."

"I am Philippa Armstrong. Did you ever hear the name?"

"No, but it's all right; it looks like you, and it's nearly as pretty
as Zenobia. Now if Tom Beckett had only chosen you and I could have
obliged Laura by falling in love with--"

"Don't mention the other man's name!" I cried hastily; "it just comes
to me that I may have met him."

"Met Dick Morton?"

It was true then! Here was the girl whom Richard ought, for his
worldly good, to marry, and she was not a woman at all, only an Angora
kitten, and moreover a kitten in love with Tom Beckett!

"Yes, I have met him, but I only this moment suspected it!"

"Have you known him long?"

"Less than a year."

"That settles it!" she cried, leaping to her feet excitedly. "If Dick
Morton has known you for a year he won't want me and I can marry Tom!
Goody, goody, goody!"

"Stuff and nonsense!" I said quickly. "Richard Morton is only a very
dear friend."

"Stuff and nonsense yourself! No man with an eye in his head could be
a dear friend to you! And Dick Morton is the hero sort who doesn't
care for Dottie Dimples, but worships Vashtis and Zuleika-Zenobias.
Have you any money?"

"Not a penny!"

"Oh, dear! I might have known you wouldn't have, with that hair and
those eyes. Never mind! I'm certain that Dick would rather have a
pauper goddess than a rich little earthworm."

"You mustn't talk any more about the matter," I said with as much
dignity as I could muster in the midst of her laughter-provoking
nonsense, which made the most sacred subjects seem a natural matter of
discussion. "I know through Mrs. Taunton all about the
circumstances--your father's wishes and his letter to Richard. If you
can possibly love him you must accept him, advance his fortunes, and
do your duty by your father. I am determined to be as noble as Laura
Simonds in this matter and I refuse to be a stumbling-block!"

The girl fell limply into the lounging-chair.

"Oh,