filled her mother's heart
with joy. Clarence, still intoxicated with Mrs. Peyton's kindliness,
and, perhaps, still embarrassed by remorse, had not time to remark the
girl's studied attitude. He shook hands with her cordially, and then,
in the quick reaction of youth, accepted with humorous gravity the
elaborate introduction to Mary Rogers by Susy, which completed this
little comedy. And if, with a woman's quickness, Mrs. Peyton detected a
certain lingering glance which passed between Mary Rogers and Clarence,
and misinterpreted it, it was only a part of that mystification into
which these youthful actors are apt to throw their mature audiences.

"Confess, Ally," said Peyton, cheerfully, as the three young people
suddenly found their tongues with aimless vivacity and inconsequent
laughter, and started with unintelligible spirits for an exploration of
the garden, "confess now that your bete noir is really a very manly as
well as a very presentable young fellow. By Jove! the padres have made a
Spanish swell out of him without spoiling the Brant grit, either!
Come, now; you're not afraid that Susy's style will suffer from HIS
companionship. 'Pon my soul, she might borrow a little of his courtesy
to his elders without indelicacy. I only wish she had as sincere a way
of showing her respect for you as he has. Did you notice that he really
didn't seem to see anybody else but you at first? And yet you never were
a friend to him, like Susy."

The lady tossed her head slightly, but smiled.

"This is the first time he's seen Mary Rogers, isn't it?" she said
meditatively.

"I reckon. But what's that to do with his politeness to you?"

"And do her parents know him?" she continued, without replying.

"How do I know? I suppose everybody has heard of him. Why?"

"Because I think they've taken a fancy to each other."

"What in the name of folly, Ally"--began the despairing Peyton.

"When you invite a handsome, rich, and fascinating young man into the
company of young ladies, John," returned Mrs. Peyton, in her severest
manner, "you must not forget you owe a certain responsibility to the
parents. I shall certainly look after Miss Rogers."

CHAPTER V.

Although the three young people had left the veranda together, when they
reached the old garden Clarence and Susy found themselves considerably
in advance of Mary Rogers, who had become suddenly and deeply interested
in the beauty of a passion vine near the gate. At the