; so, although she knew the invitation savored of that
"rawness" of which her aunt had remarked, she was inclined to meet
Lawford's family halfway. She said:

"If you really want me I shall be glad to do what I can to make your
affair a success. Tell your mother I will come--and thank you."

"So kind of you," drawled Marian.

But Cecile was not minded to let the interview end so tamely--or so
suddenly.

"Say!" she exclaimed, "did Ford see you, Miss Grayling, before he went
away?"

"He has gone away, then?" Louise repeated, and she could not keep the
color from flooding into her cheeks.

"He wanted to see you, I'm sure," Cecile said bluntly. "But he started
off in a hurry. Had a dickens of a row with dad."

"Cecile!" admonished Prue. "That sounds worse than it is."

Louise looked at her curiously, though she did not ask a question.

"Well, they did have a shindy," repeated L'Enfant Terrible. "When
daddy gets on his high horse------"

"Ford wished to see you before he went away, Miss Grayling," broke in
Prue, with an admonitory glare at her young sister. "He told us he was
so confused that day he fell overboard from the _Merry Andrew_ that he
did not even thank you for fishing him out of the sea. It was awfully
brave of you."

"Bully, _I_ say!" cried Cecile.

"Really heroic," added Marian. "Mother will never get over talking
about it."

"Oh! I wish you wouldn't," murmured Louise. "I'm glad Betty and I
saved him. Mrs. Gallup did quite as much as I----"

"We know all that," Prue broke in quickly. "And daddy's made it up to
_her_."

"Yes. I know. He was very liberal," Louise agreed.

"But mercy!" cried Prue. "He can't send _you_ a check, Miss Grayling.
And we all do feel deeply grateful to you. Ford is an awfully good
sort of a chap--for a brother."

Louise laughed outright at that. "I suppose, though never having had a
brother, I can appreciate his good qualities fully as much as you
girls," she said. "Will he be long away?"

"That we don't know," Marian said slowly. Louise had asked the
question so lightly that Miss Tapp could not be sure there was any real
interest behind it. But Cecile, who had alighted to crank up,
whispered to Louise:

"You know what he's gone away for? No? To get a job! He and father
have disagreed dreadfully."

"Oh! I am so sorry," murmured Louise. She would not ask any further
questions. She was troubled, however, by this information, for
L'Enfa