a moment under these trees."

She brought the machine to a standstill, gently, with no undue pressure
of brake, losing none of her expertness, and put her hand out for the
paper I held.

"I see," she said, very simply and quietly, though the paper shook a
little in her grasp. "He has been very badly hurt, Mr. Cole. Otherwise
he would have remained, until he was well again, to take up the work
once more. I--I would give anything on earth to meet that steamer!"

"The easiest thing in the world, Miss Van Rossum."

"No, the hardest, the most impossible," she retorted, quickly. "He--he
might not be glad to see me, else he would have cabled me also, I think.
You will be there, of course! Be very sure you meet him, Mr. Cole, and
then, please--please let me know what has happened, and find out for me
whether there is anything I can do. You promise, don't you?"

I put out my hand and she crushed it, nervously, with wonderful
strength, and let it go at once.

"We will go on now, I think," she said, and pressed the selfstarter.
Soon we were in the main driveway again, among a flooding and ebbing
tide of carriages and motors. Some women bowed to her and she returned
the salutations with a graceful move of her head. She drove as easily as
usual, and the turn was completed. Finally, she dropped me off at the
club and went on, after brief but very genuine thanks.

"Good Lord! David," said Ceballo, a moment later. "Just caught sight of
you with Diana at the wheel. Splendid young lady, isn't she? I know her
father quite well."

"Yes," I answered, "she is a very fine young woman."

"Doesn't much care for literature, does she?"

"I don't know, but she has a heart of gold, and that's what counts."

So we retired to a small private table and disputed and argued for a
couple of hours, at the end of which my brains were addled and I told
him to do as he pleased, whereat he beamed and I parted from him.

Then I began counting the days till the _Rochambeau_ should arrive, and
Frances came back to town and sent me word at once. She received me
joyfully and told me how much good the sea-air on the Newport cliffs had
done Baby Paul, who was beginning to talk like a little man and to say
"God bless David" in the prayer he babbled after her each evening.

"I'm only back for a short time," she said, "because I'm to sing at a
concert in Boston next week, and then we are going to Buffalo for a day,
after which I shall return. And what do