go
to them..." Her voice grew firmer and she lifted her eyes to add: "I
should like to leave today, if you don't mind."

Anna listened with a rising wonder.

"You want to leave Givre at once?" She gave the idea a moment's swift
consideration. "You prefer to be with your friends till your marriage?
I understand that--but surely you needn't rush off today? There are so
many details to discuss; and before long, you know, I shall be going
away too."

"Yes, I know." The girl was evidently trying to steady her voice. "But I
should like to wait a few days--to have a little more time to myself."

Anna continued to consider her kindly. It was evident that she did not
care to say why she wished to leave Givre so suddenly, but her disturbed
face and shaken voice betrayed a more pressing motive than the natural
desire to spend the weeks before her marriage under her old friends'
roof. Since she had made no response to the allusion to Madame de
Chantelle, Anna could but conjecture that she had had a passing
disagreement with Owen; and if this were so, random interference might
do more harm than good.

"My dear child, if you really want to go at once I sha'n't, of course,
urge you to stay. I suppose you have spoken to Owen?"

"No. Not yet..."

Anna threw an astonished glance at her. "You mean to say you haven't
told him?"

"I wanted to tell you first. I thought I ought to, on account of Effie."
Her look cleared as she put forth this reason.

"Oh, Effie!--" Anna's smile brushed away the scruple. "Owen has a right
to ask that you should consider him before you think of his sister...Of
course you shall do just as you wish," she went on, after another
thoughtful interval.

"Oh, thank you," Sophy Viner murmured and rose to her feet.

Anna rose also, vaguely seeking for some word that should break down the
girl's resistance. "You'll tell Owen at once?" she finally asked.

Miss Viner, instead of replying, stood before her in manifest
uncertainty, and as she did so there was a light tap on the door, and
Owen Leath walked into the room.

Anna's first glance told her that his face was unclouded. He met her
greeting with his happiest smile and turned to lift Sophy's hand to his
lips. The perception that he was utterly unconscious of any cause for
Miss Viner's agitation came to his step-mother with a sharp thrill of
surprise.

"Darrow's looking for you," he said to her. "He asked me to remind you
that you'd promised to go for