ss creeping over me that I
could even imagine myself by and by doing what they meant me to do. I
thought the best thing was to gain a respite, lest Mrs. Ess Kay should
drag some kind of a concession from me, which I would have to live up
to, afterwards.

"I can't talk any more about it now," I said. "I believe what you say,
but it only makes it worse for me, to think that Mother should have
made what amounts to a kind of bargain with you. Maybe by to-morrow
everything won't seem so dreadful."

She got up, with a relieved air. Perhaps even she hadn't been enjoying
the conversation.

"Of course it won't," said she. "It won't seem dreadful at all. You've
no idea how happy we're all going to be. Now, just you sleep well, and
dream sweet dreams, and you'll wake up feeling a different girl. Maybe
poor Potter hasn't been as tactful as he might be; that's because he's
too much in love to be clever. But he has a lovely surprise for you
to-morrow. Something connected with a certain finger of your left hand.
I promise you that you'll like it; and now I'm going to leave you in
peace for the night." I can't tell what savage deed I mightn't have
been capable of doing if she had had the idea of kissing me; but she
hadn't. She merely patted me on the shoulder, and went out, leaving me
to stare aimlessly at the door after she had softly closed it.

XIII

ABOUT RUNNING AWAY

I don't know how long it was before the thought came to me that I would
take Vivace and a handbag and run away to Sally; but anyway it was
before it had occurred to me to sit down.

Sally said before she went away that I was to go to her if I felt like
it, and Sally always means what she says. Now I felt like it so much
that it seemed suddenly the only possible thing to do, so all I had to
decide was the best way and the best time to do it.

As for the time, if I didn't escape before Mrs. Ess Kay and Potter
formed a hollow square round me to pour their volleys into my heart in
the morning, all that was prophetic in my soul said I would never
escape, but would suffer great confusion and rout.

As for the way, it was more difficult to make up my mind, but the first
thing was to see how much money I had in my exchequer--which happened
to be a gold purse Sally had given me.

I hadn't spent much, and since coming over, dear old Stan had sent me
another fifteen pounds, which he wrote was part of one night's winnings
at bridge--unusual for him, if it's