movement and swing of limb which indicate great strength and a body
well under control. Her appearance was extraordinarily unlike that of
all the pretty and graceful women grouped beneath the cedar tree. And
yet it was in no sense masculine--or, to use a more appropriate word,
mannish; for everything strong is masculine; but a woman who apes an
appearance of strength which she does not possess, is mannish;--rather
was it so truly feminine that she could afford to adopt a severe
simplicity of attire, which suited admirably the decided plainness of
her features, and the almost massive proportions of her figure.

She stepped into the circle beneath the cedar, and took one of the
half-dozen places immediately vacated by the men, with the complete
absence of self-consciousness which always characterised her.

"What did you go round in, Miss Champion?" inquired one of the men.

"My ordinary clothes," replied Jane; quoting Punch, and evading the
question.

But Billy burst out: "She went round in--"

"Oh, be quiet, Billy," interposed Jane. "You and I are practically the
only golf maniacs present. Most of these dear people are even ignorant
as to who 'bogie' is, or why we should be so proud of beating him.
Where is my aunt? Poor Simmons was toddling all over the place when we
went in to put away our clubs, searching for her with a telegram."

"Why didn't you open it?" asked Myra.

"Because my aunt never allows her telegrams to be opened. She loves
shocks; and there is always the possibility of a telegram containing
startling news. She says it completely spoils it if some one else knows
it first, and breaks it to her gently."

"Here comes the duchess," said Garth Dalmain, who was sitting where he
could see the little gate into the rose-garden.

"Do not mention the telegram," cautioned Jane. "It would not please her
that I should even know of its arrival. It would be a shame to take any
of the bloom off the unexpected delight of a wire on this hot day, when
nothing unusual seemed likely to happen."

They turned and looked towards the duchess as she bustled across the
lawn; this quaint old figure, who had called them together; who owned
the lovely place where they were spending such delightful days; and
whose odd whimsicalities had been so freely discussed while they drank
her tea and feasted off her strawberries. The men rose as she
approached, but not quite so spontaneously as they had done for her
niece.

The duches