n't
she."

"Confound her--yes," I snarled. "All the fun is on her side. Well, she
should make the best of it while it lasts. When she learns the truth she
may not find it so amusing."

Hephzy sighed. "Yes," she said, slowly, "I'm afraid that's so, poor
thing. When--when are you goin' to tell her?"

"I don't know," I answered. "But pretty soon, that's certain."

CHAPTER X

In Which I Break All Previous Resolutions and Make a New One

That afternoon tea on the lawn was the beginning of the great change
in our life at the rectory. Prior to that Hephzy and I had, golfly
speaking, been playing it as a twosome. Now it became a threesome, with
other players added at frequent intervals. At luncheon next day our
invalid, a real invalid no longer, joined us at table in the pleasant
dining-room, the broad window of which opened upon the formal garden
with the sundial in the center. She was in good spirits, and, as Hephzy
confided to me afterward, was "gettin' a real nice appetite." In gaining
this appetite she appeared to have lost some of her dignity and chilling
condescension; at all events, she treated her American relatives as if
she considered them human beings. She addressed most of her conversation
to Hephzy, always speaking of and to her as "Miss Cahoon." She still
addressed me as "Mr. Knowles," and I was duly thankful; I had feared
being hailed as "Uncle Hosy."

After lunch Mr. Judson called again. He was passing, he explained, on
his round of parish calls, and had dropped in casually. Mr. Worcester
also came; his really was a casual stop, I think. He and his brother
curate were very brotherly indeed, but I noticed an apparent reluctance
on the part of each to leave before the other. They left together, but
Mr. Judson again hinted at the promised golf game, and Mr. Worcester,
having learned from Miss Morley that she played and sang, expressed
great interest in music and begged permission to bring some "favorite
songs," which he felt sure Miss Morley might like to run over.

Miss Morley herself was impartially gracious and affable to both the
clerical gentlemen; she was looking forward to the golf, she said, and
the songs she was certain would be jolly. Hephzy and I had very little
to say, and no one seemed particularly anxious to hear that little.

The curates had scarcely disappeared down the driveway when Doctor
Bayliss and his son strolled in from next door. Doctor Bayliss, Senior,
was much pleased to