to see if
she knew how many lumps of sugar he took in his coffee."

Miss Panton murmured something about Wordsworth, obviously thinking
that a more fitting topic to be discussed before a young person who was
taking tea on sufferance with her betters.

"Perhaps Miss Raby is like me, and doesn't care much for Wordsworth,"
said Laura, looking across at her guest in a very friendly fashion. "I
never got beyond 'We are seven,' and never wanted to."

"It's never too late to bend," retorted Miss Panton, still austere; her
glance resting with deep disapproval upon the neatly stockinged leg
which Caroline displayed.

"Come, Nanty," said Laura, laughing. "Don't be so superior. You know
you don't really care for anything but a love-story with a happy ending
yourself." She paused, looking round at them with her happy, brown
eyes: "Well, there isn't anything better: is there?"

"Of course not," said Wilson, just touching Laura's shoulder as he
passed her in handing the cake to Caroline. But as he did so his
glance met Caroline's by chance, and he became instantly aware that she
had been watching him, for she looked hastily away, while a colour
which she could not control came into her cheeks, deepening and
deepening until it almost brought tears to her eyes.

She sat near the window with the full light on her face, somehow oddly
defenceless in her extreme embarrassment, and he could see the light
powdering of freckles on her nose, as well as that curious,
camellia-petal fineness of skin which always escaped notice until the
observer came quite close, for there was a tinge of sallowness in the
colour which prevented people from admiring it at first sight.

But a decent man who is to be married in a month does not, of course,
indulge in speculations about another girl's complexion--at any rate,
he does not encourage himself in doing so--and very soon Caroline
removed temptation out of his way by rising and taking her leave.

As she said good-bye, the lovers stood in the doorway with the sunshine
on their faces and the bright flowers seen through the far door behind
them. She was glad to get away, her mind in a whirl of gratitude,
defiance, curiosity and envy which bewildered herself. Of course, it
was nice of Miss Temple to ask her to tea and treat her like any other
girl friend, but anybody could be nice when they were getting
everything in the whole world that they could want. . . . Her thoughts
paused on that. Tha