out to
hold her things or pitch the ball for her. She is such a dependent
little thing. Then she had always wanted to study law and her people
wouldn't let her--don't blame 'em for it!--but she wanted me to help
her to understand it just for practice, she said, so I tried to. But
as to _marrying_ her! Well, to tell the truth--she--er--she does
things--I mean, I think her emotions are a little too volcanic to suit
_me_, and I'm no prude.

"You'll tell Cary this, won't you, Faith? All but that last. Explain
how I came to get tangled up with the girl. You can do it so she won't
suspect that you're working for me. You can bring it in casually,
without bungling it. Tell her I never gave a serious thought to Flora
in my life."

"I will, and I'll get her here for you!" I cried, as he rose to go.

I followed him to the door, and as I closed it after him the door of
the butler's pantry opened noiselessly, and there stood old Mary with
her finger on her lip. She motioned me to precede her, and she
followed me down the hall to my room and into it, carefully closing the
door behind her. "Missis," she whispered, kneeling down beside my
chair. "Scold me! Do! I've been made the real fool of by that little
blister. Lord, if I wouldn't like to take her across my knee with a
fat pine shingle in my good right hand. Listen! She heard you at the
telephone, and knew you expected Mr. Beguelin this afternoon, so she
comes to me just after lunch and she says to me, 'Mary, Mr. Beguelin is
coming this evening, so I think I'll take a little nap on the couch if
you'll cover me up with the brown rug.' The brown rug, see? Just the
colour of the couch, and the one I always keep put away for the Boss.
Of course I couldn't refuse after she said you said to give it to her--"

"I didn't," I interrupted.

"I know it. I know it now! But the little devil knew that I was going
out, and that you would answer the door yourself--"

"Mary!" I shrieked, in a whisper. "She wasn't in there all the time,
was she?"

"That's just what she was! Listening to every word you said. I just
came in a minute ago, or I'd have let you know. But he got up to go,
just as I had my hand on the door-knob."

"What shall I do?" I murmured, distractedly. Then, after a pause, I
said, "Perhaps she was asleep and didn't hear!"

Mary gave me such a contemptuous look that I hurriedly apologized.

Then the Angel came in, and I told Mary to go, and then I