girl of a year ago. The lovely moonshiny dress would have suited
anyone, and Terese had made my hair look just about twice as thick as
when I do it myself. I can't think how she manages! I did feel
pleased, and thought it sweet of Vere to be pleased too, for it was not
in girl nature to avoid feeling lone and lorn at being left alone,
stretched on that horrid couch. She tried to smile bravely as I left
her to go downstairs, but her lips trembled a little, and she said in a
wistful way--

"Perhaps, if I feel well enough, you might bring Mr Dudley up to see me
for a few minutes after dinner. Terese will let you know how I am."

I had to promise, of course, but I didn't like doing it. It didn't seem
fair either to Rachel or to Jim Carstairs to let these two see too much
of each other, or to Vere herself, for that matter; for I always have a
kind of dread that this time it may not be all pretence on her side.
She seems a little different when Will is there, less absolutely
confident and sure of herself.

The four couples arrived in good time. How uninteresting middle-aged
couples are! One always wondered why they married each other, for they
seem so prosy and matter-of-fact. When I am a middle-aged couple, or
half of one, I shall be like father and mother, and carry about with me
the breath of eternal romance, as Lorna would say, and I shall "Bant,"
and never allow myself to grow stout, and simply annihilate my husband
if he dares to call me "my dear." Fancy coming down to being a "my
dear" in a cap!

I had gone into the conservatory to show some plants to funny old bald
Mr Farrer, and when he toddled out to show a bloom to his wife I came
face to face with Will, standing in the entrance by himself, looking so
handsome and bored. He gave a quick step forward as he saw me and
exclaimed first "Babs!" and then, with a sudden change of voice and
manner, almost as if he were startled--

"Una!"

He didn't shake hands with me, and I felt a little bit scared and shy,
for it is only very, very rarely that he calls me by my name, and I have
a kind of feeling that when he does he likes me more than usual. It was
Vere's dress, of course; perhaps it made me look like her. We went back
into the drawing-room, and stood in a corner like dummies until dinner
was announced.

I thought it would have been such fun, but it wasn't. Will was dull and
distrait, and he hardly looked at me once, and talked about sensible
imper