what a merry
meal they had!

"It's just nonsense and a bit of deafness on your part, Nurse, so we
won't remember anything about leaving the house, we are only going to
think of enjoyment," Robinette announced. Then the old woman was
comforted, as old people are wont to be by the brave assurances of
those younger and stronger than themselves, forgot the spectre that
seemed to have risen suddenly across her path, and laughed and talked
as she sipped the fragrant London tea.

XVIII

THE STOKE REVEL JEWELS

"Hullo! Cousin Robin, hurry up, you'll need all your time!" It was
Carnaby of course who saluted Robinette thus, as she came towards the
house on her return from Wittisham.

"I'm not late, am I?" she said, consulting her watch.

"I thought you'd be making a tremendous toilette; one of your killing
ones to-night," Carnaby said. "Do! I love to see you all dressed up
till old Smeardon's eyes look as if they would drop out when you come
into the room."

"I'll wear my black dress, and her eyes may remain in her head,"
Robinette laughed.

"And what about Mark's eyes? Wouldn't you like them to drop out?" the
boy asked mischievously. "He's come back by the afternoon train while
you were away at Wittisham."

"Oh, has he?" Robinette said, and Carnaby stared so hard at her, that
to her intense annoyance she blushed hotly.

"Horrid lynx-eyed boy," she said to herself as she ran upstairs, "He's
growing up far too quickly. He needs to be snubbed." She dashed to the
wardrobe, pulled out the black garment, and gave it a vindictive shake.
"Old, dowdy, unbecoming, deaconess-district-visitor-bible-woman,
great-grand-auntly thing!" she cried.

Then her eye lighted on a cherished lavender satin. She stood for a
moment deliberating, the black dress over her arm, her eyes fixed upon
the lavender one that hung in the wardrobe.

"I don't care," she cried suddenly: "I'll wear the lavender, so here
goes! Men are all colour blind, so he'll merely notice that I look
nice. I must conceal from myself and everybody else how depressed I am
over the interview with Nurse, and how I dread discussing the cottage
with Aunt de Tracy. That must be done the first thing after dinner, or
I shall lose what little courage I have."

Lavendar thought he had never seen her look so lovely as when he met
her in the drawing room a quarter of an hour later. There was nothing
extraordinary about the dress but its exquisite tint and the sheen of
t