e shall never get such a chance as
this again--could you, do you think, put up with me? Could you--I have
loved you ever since that dear morning that you came about Bruce--could
you try to care for me a little bit? I'd give up the business, if you
wished, and go into something else--" "If you mention that blessed
business again," laughed Rose hysterically, "I won't speak to you any
more."

"I won't--I won't!" he promised, a joyful ring in his young voice. "As
long as you don't mind--and of course I wouldn't like to disappoint the
old pater--and, thank God, there's plenty of money to make you
comfortable wherever you like to live--Yes, yes, I know it's awful
cheek--I've no business to count chickens like this; but here we are,
face to face at last, no one to keep me from speaking to you--and oh,
darling, it must be time for the next dance, and I'm engaged for it--"

"Then go--go," she urged. "The one after this is ours, and I will wait
here for you till you come back. It is only Jim, and he doesn't matter.
I must be alone to think--to make up my mind--"

"You ANGEL!" for he knew what that meant.

Off he went, wing-footed, to get through his duty dance as best he
could. Rose stayed behind, dodging amongst the bushes to hide her white
dress, deaf to Jim's strident calls. And then, presently, the lovers
flitted out of the gate, across the boys' cricket ground, and down the
bank of one of the five creeks, where Rose knew of a nice seat beyond
the area of possible disturbance. As they sat down on it together, they
leaned inwards, her head drooping to his shoulder, and his arm sliding
round her waist in the most natural way in the world. Then silence,
packed full. Beyond, in the moonlit waste, curlews wailing sweetly;
behind, a piano barely audible from the humming house....

* * * * *

"What's the matter?" asked Alice Urquhart, when her bedfellow broke out
crying suddenly, for no reason that appeared.

"Oh, I don't know," cackled Rose. "I am upset with all this--this--"

"What has upset you? Aha! I saw you and that good-looking young Mr
Breen making off into the garden. You've been having a proposal, I
suppose?"

"Yes," sobbed Rose, between two foolish laughs, and forthwith poured
out the whole story to her bosom friend. She and Peter had decided not
to disclose it to a soul until further consideration; but she was so
full that a touch caused her to run over.

Miss Urquhart's feelings, when she realised the fa