e, only grown older. I
was absolutely thrilled. It was very foolish of me, but I thought
somehow you'd understand. Of course you didn't! How could you? It was
idiotic of me to expect it. The 'Ingred' on the wall was simply the
friend of my fancy."

"And the real one was just hateful to you!" said Ingred sorrowfully. "I
know I was a perfect beast! I was ashamed of myself all the time, only I
wouldn't confess it. Lispeth used to slate me sometimes for my
nastiness. She called me 'a jealous blighter,' and so I was! The girl of
your fancy is a great deal nicer than I am, or ever can be, but I'll try
to live up to her as well as I can, Bess, if you'll let me!"

"Let you!" echoed Bess, linking her arm affectionately in that of her
friend. "You're a perfect dear nowadays."

The girls tore themselves away quite regretfully from the little attic
studio, but time was passing only too quickly, and they wished to try a
game of tennis before Ingred returned to the hostel.

"So you like the house in its new dress?" asked Bess as they walked down
the steps into the garden. "Father thinks it's beautiful. He says Mr.
Saxon is the best architect he knows. He's simply put every thing in
exactly the right place. Does he only design houses, or does he go in
for anything bigger?"

"He would if he got the chance," replied Ingred. "What sort of things do
you mean?"

"Oh, a church, or a museum, or an art gallery."

"I know he's done most splendid designs for these, but he's never had
the luck to get them accepted. There's generally so much influence
needed to get your plans taken for a big public building like that. At
least, that's what Dad says. If you have a relation on the City Council,
it makes a vast difference to your chances. We've no friends at Court."

"Oh!" said Bess, rather abstractedly, and the subject dropped.

The girls had only time for one game of tennis, when the stable-clock,
chiming half-past six, reminded Ingred that if she wished to do her
preparation that evening she must rush back to the hotel. She bade Bess
a reluctant good-by.

"You'll come and see me again?" asked the latter.

"Rather! And I'll send thought-waves to animate my portrait, and let it
talk for me in my absence," laughed Ingred. "Perhaps you'll get more
than you bargain for--I'm an awful chatter-box."

"You'll never talk too much for me," said Bess, as she kissed her
good-by.

CHAPTER XIX

The Nun's Walk

The Saxon family agreed