affair over with the least possible agitation for him.
To this Doctor Craig had cordially agreed.

At eleven o'clock, however, a third guest arrived, a most unexpected
guest, who with a ruddy, eager face, came running up the old stone steps
of the house, a great florist's box under his arm. He demanded of the
boy Thomas instant entrance, and waved back at a taxicab driver the
summons to bring along a much larger box which was nearly filling that
vehicle.

Georgiana, peeping out of her father's window, beheld, and was off and
down the stairs before Thomas could fairly begin his explanation that
Miss Warne was engaged and could not be intruded upon at this hour.

"O Jimps!"

"Well, well, George! You came pretty near giving me the slip, didn't
you? But not quite--thanks to Doctor Craig."

Georgiana showed her surprise. "Did he let you know?"

She had led him instantly inside the library and had unconsciously
closed the door all but in the face of the interested Thomas, ignoring
both florist's box and big package, which that young man would have
brought in to her. She had both hands on James Stuart's shoulders, and
was looking him straight in the eyes, which looked as straightly back.
If there had ever been the beginning of romance between these two,
clearly it was far in the background now. Never did brother and sister
face each other with their relationship more clearly defined.

"I should say he did--since you didn't! What did you mean by trying to
steal a march on us all like this? Jeannette is furious, though of
course she isn't strong enough to come, wild though she is to do it. She
wanted me to tell you that she'll have revenge when she gets about, and
that you won't escape her wedding presents. Meanwhile she's sent you
something she had on hand, because there was no time to get anything
else. She thought you would find a use for it somehow. She sent her love
with it--and I can tell you that's pretty valuable."

"Of course it is! Jimps, I'm so pleased, so wonderfully pleased that you
are here--I can't tell you!"

"Then, why in the name of old friendship didn't you send for me?" Stuart
demanded, for plainly this still rankled. "Evidently Doctor Craig had
more belief in that than you did."

"I wanted to, indeed I did, Jimps, dear, but I thought--I was
sure--well----"

Stuart laughed. "Thought I wanted to save every penny for my own
wedding, eh? I rather guess I can squander a few on yours. I wouldn't
have