NTY ONE.

MRS. REEVES MAKES A PROPOSAL.

Four days later Darsie went by appointment to her _tete-a-tete_ tea with
the professional chaperon with a pleasurable expectation which was
largely streaked with curiosity.

If physiognomy counted for anything, Mrs Reeves must surely be a most
sweet and noble character. Her grey eyes looked into yours with a
straight, transparent gaze, her lips closed one upon another firmly
enough to debar all trace of weakness, yet not so firmly as to hint at
undue severity, her hair waved back from a broad white brow. It was, as
Dan had said, difficult to understand how such a woman could be the
willing companion of men whom even fellow-students were anxious to shun.
Darsie wondered if the afternoon's conversation would throw any light
on this knotty point.

She was shown, not into the drawing-room but into a cosy little den on
the second floor, a sort of glorious edition of a college study, where
Mrs Reeves sat reading by the fire, clad in a loose velvet gown of a
curious reddish-brown, like the autumn tint of a leaf, which matched the
high lights of her chestnut hair. Darsie watched her with fascinated
attention as she presided over the tea-table, with lithe, graceful
movements which made a poem out of the every-day proceeding, and Mrs
Reeves studied her in return, as she chatted lightly about a dozen
casual subjects. Then the tea-things were carried away, and with the
drawing nearer to the fire conversation took a more intimate turn.

"I hope your friend did not think me inhospitable for not including her
in my invitation to-day, but when I want to get to know a girl I prefer
to have her entirely to myself. Perhaps she will come another day.
Vernon's sister ought to be worth knowing."

"You know Dan?" Darsie's smile was somewhat anxious, for Dan's own
manner with respect to her hostess was still a disturbing element. "You
know him well?"

"No," Mrs Reeves smiled; "not well. But I like him well by repute!
Vernon has no need of my services. He is strong: enough to stand by
himself."

"You mean tea-parties?" queried Darsie vaguely, whereat Mrs Reeves
subsided into a ripple of laughter.

"No, I do _not_ mean tea-parties--something very much wider. I don't
fancy, however, that Vernon is sociably disposed, and the authorities
here are not inclined to encourage meetings between the men and girl
students. The head of his college is my brother-in-law, and one of your
Dons is a