think I have done any harm," said Lois innocently. "There is
enough more, Mr. Caruthers."

"Enough of what?" Tom inquired, while Julia and her friend exchanged a
swift glance again, of triumph on the lady's part.

"There is a shell," said Lois, putting one into his hand. "I think that
is pretty, and it certainly is odd. And what do you say to those white
violets, Mr. Caruthers? And here is some very beautiful pimpernel--and
here is a flower that I do not know at all,--and the rest is what you
would call rubbish," she finished with a smile, so charming that Tom
could not see the violets for dazzled eyes.

"Show me the flowers, Tom," his mother demanded; and she kept him by
her, answering her questions and remarks about them; while Julia asked
where they could be found.

"I find them in quite a good many places," said Lois; "and every time
it is a sort of surprise. I gathered only a few; I do not like to take
them away from their places; they are best there."

She said a word or two to Mrs. Wishart, and passed on into the house.

"That's the girl," Julia said in a low voice to her lover, walking off
to the other end of the verandah with him.

"Tom might do worse," was the reply.

"George! How can you say so? A girl who doesn't know common English!"

"She might go to school," suggested Lenox.

"To school! At her age! And then, think of her associations, and her
ignorance of everything a lady should be and should know. O you men! I
have no patience with you. See a face you like, and you lose your wits
at once, the best of you. I wonder you ever fancied me!"

"Tastes are unaccountable," the young man returned, with a lover-like
smile.

"But do you call that girl pretty?"

Mr. Lenox looked portentously grave. "She has handsome hair," he
ventured.

"Hair! What's hair! Anybody can have handsome hair, that will pay for
it."

"She has not paid for hers."

"No, and I don't mean that Tom shall. Now George, you must help. I
brought you along to help. Tom is lost if we don't save him. He must
not be left alone with this girl; and if he gets talking to her, you
must mix in and break it up, make love to her yourself, if necessary.
And we must see to it that they do not go off walking together. You
must help me watch and help me hinder. Will you?"

"Really, I should not be grateful to anyone who did _me_ such kind
service."

"But it is to save Tom."

"Save him! From what?"

"From a low marriage. What could be