re I drew a long breath. I don't know what I thought Aunt
Elizabeth could do to me, but I felt safe. Then--I could laugh at it
all, because it seems as if I must have been sort of crazy that night--I
began to run as if I couldn't get there fast enough. But when I got
to the steps I heard Lorraine laughing, and I stopped to listen to see
whether any one was there.

"I tell Peter," said she, "that it's his opportunity. Don't you remember
the Great Magician's story of the man who was always afraid he should
miss his opportunity? And the opportunity came, and, sure enough, the
man didn't know it, and it slipped by. Well, that mustn't be Peter."

"It musn't be any of us," said a voice. "Things are mighty critical,
though. It's as if everybody, the world and the flesh and the Whole
Family, had been blundering round and setting their feet down as near as
they could to a flower. But the flower isn't trampled yet. We'll build
a fence round it." My heart beat so fast that I had to put my hand
over it. I wondered if I were going to have heart-failure, and I knew
grandmother would say, "Digitalis!" When I thought of that I laughed,
and Lorraine called out, "Who's there?" She came to the long window.
"Why, Peggy, child," said she, "come in." She had me by the hand and
led me forward. They got up as I stepped in, Charles Edward and Stillman
Dane. Then I knew why I was glad. If Stillman Dane had been here
all these dreadful things would not have happened, because he is
a psychologist, and he would have understood everybody at once and
influenced them before they had time to do wrong.

"Jove!" said Charles Edward. "Don't you look handsome, Peg!"

"Goose!" said Lorraine, as if she wanted him to be still. "A good neat
girl is always handsome. There's an epigram for you. And Peggy's hair is
loose in three places. Let me fix it for you, child."

So we all laughed, and Lorraine pinned me up in a queer, tender way, as
if she were mother dress-me for something important, and we sat down,
and began to talk about college. I am afraid Stillman Dane and I did
most of the talking, for Lorraine and Charles Edward looked at each
other and smiled a little, in a fashion they have, as if they understood
each other, and Lorraine got up to show him the bag she had bought that
day for the steamer; and while she was holding it out to him and asking
him if it cost too much, she stopped short and called out, sharply,
"Who's there?" I laughed. "Lorraine h