creased
distinctness in enunciation, and glancing swiftly at her father's face
Patricia recognised that the limits of her speech had been reached,
unless she preferred to change the subject.

"Yes, Annette has grown very pretty, indeed," said Adrien, taking up
the conversation, "and is really a very nice girl, indeed. She sings
beautifully. She is the leading soprano in her church choir, I believe."

"Captain Jack Maitland appeared to think her quite charming," said
Rupert, making eyes at Patricia. Patricia's lips tightened and her eyes
gleamed a bit.

"They were in school together, I think, were they not, Mamma?" said
Adrien, flushing slightly.

"Of course they were, and so was Rupert, too--" said Patricia with
impatient scorn, "and so would you if you hadn't been sent to England,"
she added to her sister.

"No doubt of it," said Rupert with a smile, "but you see she was
fortunate enough to be sent to England."

"Blackwater is good enough for me," said Patricia, a certain stubborn
hostility in her tone.

"I have always thought the Blackwater High School an excellent
institution," said her mother quickly, "especially for boys."

"Yes, indeed, for boys," replied Stillwell, "but for young ladies--well,
there is something in an English school, you know, that you can't get in
any High School here in Canada."

"Rot!" ejaculated Patricia.

"My dear Patricia!" The mother was quite shocked.

"Pardon me, Mother, but you know we have a perfectly splendid High
School here. Father has often said so."

Her mother sighed. "Yes, for boys. But for girls, I feel with Rupert
that you get something in English schools that--" She hesitated, looking
uncertainly at her elder daughter.

"Yes, and perhaps lose something, Mamma," said Adrien quietly. "I mean,"
she added hastily, "you lose touch with a lot of things and people,
friends. Now, for instance, you remember when we were all children,
boys and girls together, at the Public School, Annette was one of the
cleverest and best of the lot of us, I used to be fond of her--and the
others. Now--"

"But you can't help growing up," said Rupert, "and--well, democracy is
all right and that sort of thing, but you must drift into your class you
know. There's Annette, for instance. She is a factory hand, a fine girl
of course, and all that, but--"

"Oh, I suppose we must recognise facts. Rupert, you are quite right,"
said Mrs. Templeton, "there must be social distinctions and there