said Judy. "I can't
quite understand what it means, but I'm sure it's disagreeable."

"A mutineer is always a disagreeable person," continued Rivers, looking
with his pleasant eyes full at the child. "He is in a state of
rebellion, you know. People aren't nice when they rebel against the
inevitable."

"What's the inevitable?" asked Judy.

"The inevitable!" repeated Rivers. "The inevitable," he continued
gravely, "is what has to be met because it cannot be avoided. The
inevitable stands directly in a person's path; he can't go round it, he
can't jump over it, he has just to meet it bravely and make the best
friend he possibly can of it."

"Oh," said Judy, "that sounds like a fairy tale. Babs and I love fairy
tales, particularly the old, old ones--the Jack the Giant Killer
sort--you understand?"

"Jack the Giant Killer had lots of inevitables to meet," pursued Rivers.

"Yes, of course," said Judy; "now I know what you mean as far as dear
Jack was concerned, but I don't know what you mean about me."

"Well, you see, Miss Judy--you don't mind my calling Jasper's little
sister Miss Judy?"

"Oh, don't talk of him," said Judy, a frown between her brows.

"But I must if I'm to explain my meaning to you, for he's the
inevitable."

"Now what _do_ you mean?--you're the most puzzling sort of grown-up
person I ever met!"

"And you're the most intelligent sort of little person I ever met. Now
let me explain matters to you. Your sister is very pretty, isn't she?"

"Pretty?" said Judy meditatively--"pretty is such a common sort of
word--if you call flowers pretty, Hilda is, I suppose, but she's much,
much more than pretty."

"I understand. I'm quite sure I understand you perfectly. And your
sister is good too, and sweet?"

"Oh, yes!" Judy's eyes filled with tears, she blinked her eyelashes and
looked out of the window.

"Well, now," said Rivers, and his voice was quite tender, for Judy's
manner and attitude touched him wonderfully. "Well, now, you see it was
inevitable that some man should love a woman like your sister, and want
to make her his wife, and wish to take her altogether to himself. It was
inevitable, also, that a woman with a gentle heart like Mrs. Quentyns
should love this man in return and want to devote her life to him."

"Don't!" said Judy, suddenly; "I understand you now, I don't want you to
say another word." She crossed over to the window and stood there with
her back to Rivers, looking gravely