r, does old Carus really criticise your frocks?"

For indeed the distinguished scientist, Miss Timson's chief, was the
only man she could think of to whom Tims could possibly apply the
possessive adjective. Tims bridled.

"Of course not; I was thinking of Mr. Fitzalan."

That she had for years been very kind to a lonely little man of that
name who lived in the same block of chambers, Mildred knew,
but--Heavens! Even Mildred's presence of mind failed her, and she
stared. Meeting her amazed eye, Tims's borrowed smile suddenly broke its
bounds and became her own familiar grin, only more so:

"We're engaged," she said.

"My dear Tims!" exclaimed Mildred, suppressing an inclination to burst
out laughing. "What a surprise!"

"I quite thought you'd have been prepared for it," returned Tims. "A bit
stupid of you not to guess it, don't you know, old girl. We've been
courting long enough."

Mildred hastened to congratulate the strange bride and wish her
happiness, with all that unusual grace which she knew how to employ in
adorning the usual.

"I thought I should like you to be the first to know," said Tims,
sentimentally, after a while; "because I was your bridesmaid, you see.
It was the prettiest wedding I ever saw, and I should love to have a
wedding like yours--all of us carrying lilies, you know."

"I remember there were green stains on my wedding-dress," returned
Mildred, with forced gayety.

Tims, temporarily oblivious of all awkward circumstances, continued,
still more sentimentally:

"Then I was there, as I've told you, when Ian's pop came to poor old M.
Poor old girl! She was awfully spifligatingly happy, and I feel just the
same now myself."

"Well, it wasn't I, anyhow, who felt 'awfully spifligatingly happy' on
that occasion," replied Mildred, with a touch of asperity in her voice.

Tims, legitimately absorbed in her own feelings, did not notice it. She
continued:

"I dare say the world will say Mr. Fitzalan had an eye on my money; and
it's true I've done pretty well with my investments. But, bless you! he
hadn't a notion of that. You see, I was brought up to be stingy, and I
enjoy it. He thought of course I was a pauper, and proposed we should
pauper along together. He was quite upset when he found I was an
heiress. Wasn't it sweet of him?"

Mildred said it was.

"Flora Fitzalan!" breathed Tims, clasping her hands and smiling into
space. "Isn't it a pretty name? It's always been my dream to have