retty. I
hope she will make him very happy." Rose's voice trembled with sad
hypocrisy.

"Who told you?" demanded Sylvia.

"She told me herself."

"Did her mother hear it?"

"She did, but I think she did not understand. Lucy spoke in French.
She talks French very well. She studied with Miss Farrel, you know. I
think Lucy has done all in her power to fit herself to become a good
wife for an educated man."

"What did she tell you in French for? Why didn't she speak in
English?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I know. She did it so her mother wouldn't hear, and say in
English that she was telling an awful whopper. Mr. Allen is no more
engaged to Lucy Ayres than I am."

Rose gazed at Sylvia with sudden eagerness. "What makes you think so,
Aunt Sylvia?"

"Nothing makes me think what I know. Mr. Allen has never paid any
attention to Lucy Ayres, beyond what he couldn't help, and she's made
a mountain out of a mole-hill. Lucy Ayres is man-crazy, that's all.
You needn't tell me."

"Then you don't think--?"

"I know better. I'll ask Mr. Allen."

"If you asked him it would make it very hard for him if it wasn't
so," said Rose.

"I don't see why."

"Mr. Allen is a gentleman, and he could not practically accuse a
woman of making an unauthorized claim of that sort," said Rose.

"Well, I won't say anything about it to him if you think I had better
not," said Sylvia, "but I must say I think it's pretty hard on a man
to have a girl going round telling folks he's engaged to her when he
ain't. Eat that lamb chop and them pease while they're hot."

"I am going to. They are delicious. I didn't think I was hungry at
all, but to have things brought up this way--"

"You've got to eat a saucer of strawberries afterwards," said Sylvia,
happily.

She watched the girl eat, and she was in a sort of ecstasy, which
was, nevertheless, troubled. After a while, when Rose had nearly
finished the strawberries, Sylvia ventured a remark.

"Lucy Ayres is a queer girl," said she. "I've known all about her for
some time. She has been thinking young men were in love with her,
when they never had an idea of such a thing, ever since she was so
high."

Sylvia indicated by her out-stretched hand a point about a foot and a
half from the floor.

"It seems as if she must have had some reason sometimes," said Rose,
with an impulse of loyalty towards the other girl. "She is very
pretty."

"As far as I know, no young man in East Westland has eve