suppose they have been meeting all this week and falling in love,'
said Vava in tones of disgust.

'Not they, that was done before; it's what they call a Scotch wooing,
and you ought to be glad about it, instead of being so disagreeable,' he
protested.

A tear stole down Vava's face, but she would not give way, and only
said, 'I don't see what is the use of her having taken a house when she
meant to go and do this.'

'These are things one cannot foresee; one does not mean to do them; they
do themselves. You'll do just the same when your time comes.'

'I shall not. If I were in love with you I should be civil to you, and
let you see that I liked you,' declared Vava.

'All right; I'll remember that, and in the meantime I think you might be
civil to your sister and Jamie.'

Vava made a little grimace. 'It's a hideous name, Jamie Jones!' she
declared.

But that gentleman, thinking he had given his former friend time to get
over her shock, came forward, and very soon managed to win her back to
her old friendliness, as he gave her his arm to take her in to dinner.
Poor Vava! she had so looked forward to this dinner; it had turned out
so very different to what she had expected, and no one said anything
about the play; so she made up her mind that they were going to 'fuss'
over Stella all the evening and give up the play.

But Lord Rothery came to the rescue. 'I propose an amendment to the
evening's programme. I suppose Jamie is going to cry off his engagement
with me, so I vote you take me to the theatre in Stella's place, and
leave her to rest here.'

This seemed a very good plan, and evidently suited the two most
concerned; and to Vava's relief they started in good time for _Henry
VIII._, and in spite of a little sore feeling at heart, she managed to
enjoy it very much.

The Joneses drove Vava home after the theatre, and there she found
'nursie' and Stella sitting by the kitchen fire; and even Vava, much
though she had admired her sister, thought she had never seen her look
so beautiful as she did to-night.

'All's well that ends well, my bairns, and he's a braw young laddie,'
said old nursie, lapsing into Scotch.

'Has he been to see you?' asked Vava.

'Yes, and wanted to know if I would trust him with my bairn. Eh, that I
would!' she said.

'And what am I to do?' cried Vava, and burst into tears.

Stella had her arms round her sister in a moment. 'It won't make any
difference, and we are going to stay