coolly. "I was wondering what I wanted to
make you think of me, in case I should ever happen to see you again."

This audacity appeared to take his breath. "By George!" he cried.

"You mustn't be astonished," she said. "What I decided then was that I
would probably never dare to be just myself with you--not if I cared
to have you want to see me again--and yet here I am, just being myself
after all!"

"You ARE the cheeriest series of shocks," Russell exclaimed, whereupon
Alice added to the series.

"Tell me: Is it a good policy for me to follow with you?" she asked, and
he found the mockery in her voice delightful. "Would you advise me to
offer you shocks as a sort of vacation from suavity?"

"Suavity" was yet another sketch of Mildred; a recognizable one, or it
would not have been humorous. In Alice's hands, so dexterous in this
work, her statuesque friend was becoming as ridiculous as a fine figure
of wax left to the mercies of a satirist.

But the lively young sculptress knew better than to overdo: what she did
must appear to spring all from mirth; so she laughed as if unwillingly,
and said, "I MUSTN'T laugh at Mildred! In the first place, she's
your--your cousin. And in the second place, she's not meant to be funny;
it isn't right to laugh at really splendid people who take themselves
seriously. In the third place, you won't come again if I do."

"Don't be sure of that," Russell said, "whatever you do."

"'Whatever I do?'" she echoed. "That sounds as if you thought I COULD be
terrific! Be careful; there's one thing I could do that would keep you
away."

"What's that?"

"I could tell you not to come," she said. "I wonder if I ought to."

"Why do you wonder if you 'ought to?'"

"Don't you guess?"

"No."

"Then let's both be mysteries to each other," she suggested. "I mystify
you because I wonder, and you mystify me because you don't guess why I
wonder. We'll let it go at that, shall we?"

"Very well; so long as it's certain that you DON'T tell me not to come
again."

"I'll not tell you that--yet," she said. "In fact----" She paused,
reflecting, with her head to one side. "In fact, I won't tell you not
to come, probably, until I see that's what you want me to tell you.
I'll let you out easily--and I'll be sure to see it. Even before you do,
perhaps."

"That arrangement suits me," Russell returned, and his voice held no
trace of jocularity: he had become serious. "It suits me better if
you're enoug