n
of re-dressing, and she examined the clothes he had brought, Toni gave
way and burst into a fit of irrepressible laughter.

He had apologized for the lack of feminine garments, but Toni had not
been prepared for the substitute he had given her. There, beneath the
heavy dressing-gown, was a pair of silk pyjamas immaculately got up and
folded; and at the sight of their purple and white glories Toni laughed
and laughed until the tears ran down her cheeks.

At first she determined that nothing in the world would persuade her to
don the resplendent pyjamas. Then a glance at her own soaked and now
steaming clothing gave her courage; and giggling softly to herself she
got into the silken garments, which by dint of much turning up of hems
and shortening of sleeves were given some semblance of a fit. Next came
the dressing-gown, an eminently masculine affair of brown camel's hair,
with red collar and cuffs, and when she had tied the girdle round her
waist, and, scorning the evening socks which lay ready, had slipped her
bare feet into a pair of capacious slippers, Toni was so overcome by her
own bizarre appearance that once more she burst out laughing gaily.

A knock at the door made her stop short, and she called out in a rather
quavery voice:

"Yes? Who's there?"

"Only I--Herrick," came the answer. "When you're ready will you come
into the other room? The sun's blazing in, but I can easily light a fire
if you feel chilly."

Toni cast a doubtful look at herself in this queer garb, and then
determined, very sensibly, that it was no good being prudish and silly.
After all, the dressing-gown wrapped her up completely; and at any rate
her own clothes would presently arrive to deliver her from this rather
absurd situation.

"I'm coming in a minute," she called out gaily. "I'm just going to let
my hair down--it's rather wet, but it will dry in the sun."

She pulled out her hair-pins recklessly, and the black waves tumbled
wetly on to her shoulders. A few minutes' vigorous drying before the
fire met with success, and presently Toni found courage to unlock the
door and sally forth into the little hall.

Mr. Herrick was waiting for her by the sitting-room door, and he bit his
lip quickly at sight of the funny little figure emerging from the
kitchen.

He spoke quite gravely, however, and Toni, who had glanced at him rather
sharply, felt reassured.

"That's right. Now, come and sit down, will you? See, if you take this
c