ch a careless fashion as
drives him to despair. Brushing it to and fro across her lips she seems
to have lost all interest in the question in hand.

"If she says to you 'go,' how then?"

"Why then--I may still remain here."

"Well stay then, of course, if you so desire it!" cries he angrily. "If
to make all your world _un_happy is to make you happy, why be so by all
means."

"_All_ my world! Do you suppose then that it will make Barbara and
Freddy unhappy to have my company? What a gallant speech!" says she,
with a provoking little laugh and a swift lifting of her eyes to his.

"No, but it will make other people (more than _twice_ two) miserable to
be deprived of it."

"Are you one of that quartette?" asks she, so saucily, yet withal so
merrily that the hardest-hearted lover might forgive her. A little
irresistible laugh breaks from her lips. Rather ruefully he joins in it.

"I don't think I need answer that question," says he. "To you at all
events."

"To me of all people rather," says she still laughing, "seeing I am the
interested party."

"No, that character belongs to me. You have no interest in it. To me it
is life or death--to--you----"

"No, no, you mustn't talk to me like that. You know I forbid you last
time we met, and you promised me to be good."

"I promised then the most difficult thing in the world. But never mind
me; the principal thing is, your acceptance or rejection of that note.
Joyce!" in a low tone, "_say_ you will accept it."

"Well," relenting visibly, and now refusing to meet his eyes, "I'll ask
Barbara, and if she says I may go I----" pause.

"You will then accept?" eagerly.

"I shall then--think about it."

"You look like an angel," says he, "and you have the heart of a flint."

This remark, that might have presumably annoyed another girl, seems to
fill Miss Kavanagh with mirth.

"Am I so bad as that?" cries she, gaily. "Why I shall make amends then.
I shall change my evil ways. As a beginning, see here. If Barbara says
go to the Court, go I will. Now, stern moralist! where are you?"

"In the seventh heaven," says he, promptly. "Be it a Fool's Paradise or
otherwise, I shall take up my abode there for the present. And now you
will go and ask Mrs. Monkton?"

"In what a hurry to get rid of me!" says this coquette of all coquettes.
"Well, good-bye then----"

"Oh no, don't go."

"To the Court? Was ever man so unreasonable? In one breath 'do' and
'don't'!"

"Was ever wo