high hedges, brushing lightly against overhanging
masses of honeysuckle and wild clematis. Jane snatched a spray of the
clematis, in passing. "'Traveller's joy,'" she said, with that same
quiet smile of glad anticipation, and put the white blossom in her
buttonhole.

"Well," continued Lady Ingleby, "my house party is going on quite
satisfactorily. Oh, and, Jane, there seems no doubt about Dal. How
pleased I shall be if it comes off under my wing! The American girl is
simply exquisite, and so vivacious and charming. And Dal has quite
given up being silly--not that _I_ ever thought him silly, but I know
YOU did--and is very quiet and pensive; really were it any one but he,
one would almost say 'dull.' And they roam about together in the most
approved fashion. I try to get the aunt to make all her remarks to me.
I am so afraid of her putting Dal off. He is so fastidious. I have
promised Billy anything, up to the half of my kingdom, if he will sit
at the feet of Mrs. Parker Bangs and listen to her wisdom, answer her
questions, and keep her away from Dal. Billy is being so abjectly
devoted in his attentions to Mrs. Parker Bangs that I begin to have
fears lest he intends asking me to kiss him; in which case I shall hand
him over to you to chastise. You manage these boys so splendidly. I
fully believe Dal will propose to Pauline Lister tonight. I can't
imagine why he didn't last night. There was a most perfect moon, and
they went on the lake. What more COULD Dal want?--a lake, and a moon,
and that lovely girl! Billy took Mrs. Parker Bangs in a double canoe
and nearly upset her through laughing so much at the things she said
about having to sit flat on the bottom. But he paddled her off to the
opposite side of the lake from Dal and her niece, which was all we
wanted. Mrs. Parker Bangs asked me afterwards whether Billy is a
widower. Now what do you suppose she meant by that?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," said Jane. "But I am delighted to hear
about Dal and Miss Lister. She is just the girl for him, and she will
soon adapt herself to his ways and needs. Besides, Dal MUST have
flawless loveliness, and really he gets it there."

"He does indeed," said Myra. "You should have seen her last night, in
white satin, with wild roses in her hair. I cannot imagine why Dal did
not rave. But perhaps it is a good sign that he should take things more
quietly. I suppose he is making up his mind."

"No," said Jane. "I believe he did that