ghed. "Are you confusing me with Miss Painter?"

"Perhaps I ought to say for ME," she corrected herself. "You've been
even more of a help to us than Adelaide."

"My dear child! What on earth have I done?"

"You've managed to hide from Madame de Chantelle that you don't really
like poor Sophy."

Darrow felt the pallour in his cheek. "Not like her? What put such an
idea into your head?"

"Oh, it's more than an idea--it's a feeling. But what difference does
it make, after all? You saw her in such a different setting that it's
natural you should be a little doubtful. But when you know her better
I'm sure you'll feel about her as I do."

"It's going to be hard for me not to feel about everything as you do."

"Well, then--please begin with my daughter-in-law!"

He gave her back in the same tone of banter: "Agreed: if you ll agree to
feel as I do about the pressing necessity of our getting married."

"I want to talk to you about that too. You don't know what a weight is
off my mind! With Sophy here for good, I shall feel so differently
about leaving Effie. I've seen much more accomplished governesses--to
my cost!--but I've never seen a young thing more gay and kind and human.
You must have noticed, though you've seen them so little together, how
Effie expands when she's with her. And that, you know, is what I want.
Madame de Chantelle will provide the necessary restraint." She clasped
her hands on his arm. "Yes, I'm ready to go with you now. But first of
all--this very moment!--you must come with me to Effie. She knows, of
course, nothing of what's been happening; and I want her to be told
first about YOU."

Effie, sought throughout the house, was presently traced to the
school-room, and thither Darrow mounted with Anna. He had never seen
her so alight with happiness, and he had caught her buoyancy of mood. He
kept repeating to himself: "It's over--it's over," as if some monstrous
midnight hallucination had been routed by the return of day.

As they approached the school-room door the terrier's barks came to them
through laughing remonstrances.

"She's giving him his dinner," Anna whispered, her hand in Darrow's.

"Don't forget the gold-fish!" they heard another voice call out.

Darrow halted on the threshold. "Oh--not now!"

"Not now?"

"I mean--she'd rather have you tell her first. I'll wait for you both
downstairs."

He was aware that she glanced at him intently. "As you please. I'll
bring her down at o