urnfully. "I can see that would
be the kind of a chap that the dames would stand for everlastingly."

"But, as I said before," continued Dorothy, "it's not because he's
Lieutenant-Governor, whatever the Mater may think about it, that I
admire him. It's just because he's so big, and earnest, and loyal,
and--and"--

"White," said young Nisbet.

"Yes, _isn't_ he? That's it--white!"

"I can understand a man like that getting spliced," observed young
Nisbet very earnestly. "He has so much to offer a girl. But as for the
rest of us"--

"Oh, as to that," broke in Dorothy airily, "John Barclay isn't the only
man in the world, by any manner of means! Besides, Natalie having
already bagged him, it is plain I shall have to look elsewhere."

There was a long pause, broken only by the plash of the water, which
seemed, as the seconds slipped by, to grow amazingly loud. Then young
Nisbet raised his eyes, and looked at her, blushing deplorably.

"I wish"--he said, "I wish"--

"Dorothy! _Do_ excuse me, Mr. Nisbet, but _really_--dinner at seven, you
know, and this child _must_ be thinking about dressing. She takes
_ages_!"

Mrs. Rathbawne folded her fat hands, and stood waiting, at the
conservatory door. Young Nisbet rose.

"Of course!" he said. "I'm always so stupid about these things. Good-by,
Miss Rathbawne. I'm off to New York to-morrow on some confounded
business, so I probably won't see you for a week or so. Good-by."

"_Would_ you mind going out by the hall, Mr. Nisbet?" suggested Mrs.
Rathbawne. "Mr. Barclay is in the drawing-room with my elder daughter,
and he is so _greatly_ occupied with affairs of state that they have
_very_ little time together. I _hate_ to have them interrupted. One can
do _so_ much harm sometimes, you know, by thoughtlessly interrupting
people who are in love with each other. Thank you _so_ much; good-by.
_Do_ try to stand a little straighter, Dorothy, my dear."

III

A FACE IN THE CROWD

At the sound of the Lieutenant-Governor's voice at the front door, Mrs.
Rathbawne had beaten a hasty retreat, dragging her immensely edified
half-sister in her wake, so that when he stepped through the curtained
doorway Barclay found Natalie alone.

"I'm so glad you could come early," she said, from the corner of the
divan. "Now we can have a talk before dinner. I seem to see so little of
you. I suppose that's the penalty attached to being engaged to the
second biggest man in the state. I'm som