determined by this time to hold it in
reserve until her ungrateful grandchild reached years of discretion. She
put it in the bookcase between Byron's "Don Juan" and Butler's "Lives of
the Saints." In the position which she now occupied, Linley was visible
approaching Sydney again. "Your own interests are seriously concerned,"
he whispered, "in something that I have to tell you."

Incapable of hearing what passed between them, Mrs. Presty could see
that a secret understanding united her son-in-law and the governess. She
looked round cautiously at Mrs. Linley.

Kitty's humor had changed; she was now eager to see the doll's splendid
clothes taken off and put on again. "Come and look at it," she said
to Sydney; "I want you to enjoy my birthday as much as I do." Left by
himself, Randal got rid of the parasol by putting it on a table near the
door. Mrs. Presty beckoned to him to join her at the further end of the
room.

"I want you to do me a favor," she began.

Glancing at Linley before she proceeded, Mrs. Presty took up a
newspaper, and affected to be consulting Randal's opinion on a passage
which had attracted her attention. "Your brother is looking our way,"
she whispered: "he mustn't suspect that there is a secret between us."

False pretenses of any kind invariably irritated Randal. "What do you
want me to do?" he asked sharply.

The reply only increased his perplexity.

"Observe Miss Westerfield and your brother. Look at them now."

Randal obeyed.

"What is there to look at?" he inquired.

"Can't you see?"

"I see they are talking to each other."

"They are talking confidentially; talking so that Mrs. Linley can't hear
them. Look again."

Randal fixed his eyes on Mrs. Presty, with an expression which showed
his dislike of that lady a little too plainly. Before he could answer
what she had just said to him, his lively little niece hit on a
new idea. The sun was shining, the flowers were in their brightest
beauty--and the doll had not yet been taken into the garden! Kitty
at once led the way out; so completely preoccupied in steering the
perambulator in a straight course that she forgot her uncle and the
parasol. Only waiting to remind her husband and Sydney that they were
wasting the beautiful summer morning indoors, Mrs. Linley followed her
daughter--and innocently placed a fatal obstacle in Mrs. Presty's way by
leaving the room. Having consulted each other by a look, Linley and the
governess went out