The Little Colonel's Knight Comes Riding Read online

  CHAPTER VII

  SPANISH LESSONS

  THE Harcourt carriage swung rapidly along the road, for the LittleColonel held the reins, and was testing the speed of the new horses,just sent down from Lexington.

  "Isn't it glorious?" she cried, with a quick glance over her shoulder atGay and Miss Marks on the back seat. "It's like flying, the way theytake us through the air, and they're the best matched team in thecountry."

  Leland, on the seat beside her, watched with growing admiration herexpert handling of the horses, and Gay watched him. Swathed in a whitechiffon veil, she was paying the penalty for being so obliging the daybefore. She had lain so long on the rocks in her pose of the drownedfishermaiden, that her face was burned to a blister, and she could nottouch it without groaning. But she would willingly go through the ordealagain, she told herself, in order to bring about the present desirablestate of affairs.

  "Now which way?" asked Lloyd as they came to a turn. "I feel like aColumbus on an unsailed sea. I thought I knew every gah'den around heahwithin a radius of five miles, but I've nevah seen any that fits thedescription of the one you're taking us to."

  "Turn to the right," Leland directed. "Then it's just a short way down awoodland road. You'll come to an old-fashioned wicket gate and astraight, box-bordered walk leading up to the back of such a quaintvine-covered old house with a red door, that you'll expect to see athatched roof and hear an English skylark."

  "Well, of all things," laughed Lloyd, "why didn't you say little reddoah in the first place. That would have located it for me. You'vesimply discovahed the back premises of old Doctah Shelby's place, andyoah wondahful English gah'den is their kitchen gah'den. We could havereached their front gate in ten minutes from our house, and heah youhave led us all around Robin Hood's bahn to find it. That loop aroundRollington took us a good two miles out of the way."

  "Well, that's the only way I knew how to reach it," he answered, withthe flashing smile she had learned to look for. "I hope that you don'tfeel that it has been time wasted. _I_ don't."

  "Not behind hawses like these," she answered. "We'll forgive you for thesake of the ride. I nevah get tiahed of driving when I can go thisfast."

  She turned into a narrow lane leading around to the front of the house,and waited for Leland to open the gate.

  "How natural everything looks," she exclaimed. "I haven't been heah foryeahs, and when I was a little thing of six or seven I used to be aweekly visitah. I'd bring my dawg Fritz, and stay from breakfast tillbedtime. I called Doctah Shelby 'Mistah-_my_-doctah' and his wife 'AuntAlicia,'" she went on as Leland resumed his seat in the carriage. "Theysaid that I reminded them of their only daughtah, who was dead, and theyused to borrow me by the day. They spoiled me so that it was perfectlyscandalous the way I acted sometimes."

  "Why did you stop coming?" asked Gay.

  "Mrs. Shelby had a fall that made an invalid of her, and she has beenaway at sanitariums and hospitals most of the time since. I've seen heroften, of co'se, but not heah. It's only lately that they've opened upthe house and come home to live."

  Places exercised a strong influence over Lloyd. Just as she felt thechallenge of the locust-trees in the avenue at home, and could not passthose old family sentinels without an unconscious lifting of the headand that pride of bearing which they seemed to expect from all theLloyds, so this old homestead had its peculiar effect upon her. As shewent up the path she had the same feeling of absolute sovereignty thatshe had had a dozen years before when her slightest wish was law in thisadoring household, and where every act of hers, no matter howoutbreaking, passed unchided. If she chose to empty the sugar into themiddle of the garden walk and fill the bowl with pebbles, "Aunt Alicia"took her afternoon tea unsweetened, rather than ring for more, and thuscall Mom Beck's attention to the naughtiness of her little charge.

  Once, some babyish whim prompting her to order every picture turned tothe wall, the doctor meekly obeyed, and when some chance callerremonstrated, he protested that it was a very small thing to do to givea child pleasure, and that there was no reason why she shouldn't havethem upside down if she wished. So strong was the old spell now, thatas she stepped up on the porch and saw the same ugly little Chineseidol sitting against the front door to prop it open, that had sat thereon all her former visits, she stooped and stood it on its head.

  "Why on earth did you do that?" gasped Gay.

  "Simply fo'ce of habit," laughed Lloyd. "I used to hate it so because itwas such an ugly old thing that I always stood it on its head to punishit for staring at me. I did it this time without thinking."

  Leland laughed. Never in the short time he had known her had she seemedquite so adorable as she did at this moment, relapsing into the childishimperiousness of her Little Colonel ways. While they waited for Mrs.Shelby to come down he watched her going around the room, renewing heracquaintance with all the old objects that had once held a fascinationfor her. She called his attention to the tapestry on the wall, ashepherd and shepherdess beside a trellis on which hung roses as big ascabbages, and told him the quaint fancies she had once had about theromantic figures. The stuffed birds under the glass case on the manteleach had a name she had given it. She remembered them all, from theyellow canary, to the mite of a humming-bird, poised at the top.

  Stopping before a queer old whatnot, filled with bric-a-brac and shells,she caught up a round china box. A gilt eagle, hovering over a nest oflittle eaglets formed the lid, and her face began to dimple as shelifted the china bird by its imposing beak.

  "There ought to be peppahmints inside," she said. "There always used tobe, because I'd howl if there wasn't, and they couldn't beah to have medisappointed. Well, I wish you'd look! Deah old Aunt Alicia! She'sremembahed all these yeahs and kept it ready for me."

  She held the box out towards him, and he saw that it had been freshlyfilled with delectable little striped drops.

  "It hurts my conscience," she said, looking up wistfully, as thefamiliar odour of the peppermint greeted her, "to think how I haveneglected her. Heah I have been going to picnics and pahties and allsawts of things evah since I came home from school, and have nevah beenneah her. I'm going to find her this minute, and not wait for her tocome down as if I were some strangah."

  The quaintly furnished old room straightway lost its charm for Lelandwhen she left it, but Gay, pushing aside her veil to taste the contentsof the eagle's nest, which Lloyd had deposited in her lap, scrutinizedeverything with interest. This was Alex's home now, and she wondered howhe would look in the midst of such surroundings. She couldn't imaginehim with such an antiquated background. Miss Marks picked up a basket ofdaguerreotypes from the marble-topped table, and began examining them.

  They could hear Lloyd calling at the top of the stairs, "Aunt Alicia,"and then Mrs. Shelby's voice, tremulous with pleased surprise: "Why it'sthe Little Colonel! Oh, my dear! My _dear_! what a joy it is to have youhere again!" Then they heard Lloyd laughingly explaining their mission,and after that they seemed to pass into another room, for a low hum ofvoices was all that could be distinguished.

  Presently Mrs. Shelby came down alone. She was a gentle little old lady,with faded blue eyes, and a sweet patient face. She wore a bunch of graycurls over each ear in the fashion of her girlhood. There was alingering charm of youth about her, just as there was a faint suggestionof lavender still clinging to the fine old lace that fell over herlittle hands. Almost as soon as she had finished welcoming them an oldcoloured man followed her into the room, bearing a huge tray withtinkling glasses, a decanter of raspberry shrub, and a plate of littlenut-cakes. While he served the guests she explained Lloyd's delay withalmost girlish eagerness.

  "I have taken a great liberty with your model, Miss Marks, but Lloydassured me you would be perfectly willing. This last day of June is avery happy anniversary of mine and the doctor's. I have been thinking ofit all morning, and when Lloyd came up the stairs just now, so glowingand bright, it seemed to me I saw my own lost youth rising up before me,and I asked her to put o
n a gown I have treasured many years, and bephotographed in that.

  "It is the one I had on when Richard proposed to me," she explained, afaint pink tingeing her soft old cheeks. "Fifty years ago to-day, inthat same old garden. This was my grandmother's place then. Richardbought it afterwards. And a year from to-day if we live, we will keepour golden wedding. If you can use the gown in the photograph it willmake me very happy, for it is falling to pieces, despite my care of it.Lloyd thought it very picturesque and appropriate."

  While Miss Marks was expressing her delight over the privilege, for theunearthing of old costumes was one of her pet diversions, Lloyd camedown the stairs and stopped shyly in the doorway. She had tucked up hershining hair with a tall ivory comb, and it hung in soft curls on eachside of her glowing face, in the old fashion of Mrs. Shelby's girlhood.The thin, clinging dress enveloped her like a pale blue cloud, and aflat, wide-brimmed garden hat swung from her arm by its blue ribbons.With the donning of the ancient dress she seemed to have put on thesweet shy manner that had been the charm of its first wearer.

  A long-drawn "oh!" of admiration from Gay and Miss Marks greeted herappearance, and she turned a timid glance towards Leland, who had risenquickly. His glance and his silence were more eloquent than their words,for she turned away blushing.

  "Now if I may have a bit of paper to make a moth to pin on themilk-white phlox," began Miss Marks, but Mrs. Shelby stopped hereagerly.

  "Oh, my dear, we will have the picture perfect in every way. Richard hasa case of butterflies and moths in his office. I shall send a servant tobring it and to call him over, for he will want to see Lloyd in thatgown I am sure. How I wish Alex were here to be photographed with her.He is so broad shouldered and erect he reminds me daily of what hisuncle was at his age."

  "Maybe he will come before we are through," suggested Miss Marks. At themere thought of his coming, Gay pulled her veil down hastily over herblistered face. Behind its protecting screen she watched the old couplekeenly, when the doctor arrived. They had eyes for nothing but Lloyd,and their gaze followed her tenderly wherever she went.

  "They're just _daffy_ about her," thought Gay. "It's plain to be seenthey'd give anything in the world to get her into the family. I hopeDoctor Alex won't come in time to be photographed with her. If he'dnever fallen in love with her before he'd have to do it now. He couldn'thelp himself when she looks like that, and then where would all my plansbe for poor Leland?"

  But Leland was taking care of his own interests. As soon as Miss Markshad taken enough plates to satisfy herself he led Lloyd off to the endof the garden to show her a flower which he had found with a softmeandering Spanish name.

  "We'll begin the lessons to-morrow," he said, as if it were all settled.The masterfulness of his tone had pleased her the day before, but herein the place where she had done all the dictating and others hadobeyed, it aroused a feeling that Mom Beck would have labelled "theLloyd stubbo'ness." She didn't want to consent, simply because he hadtaken it for granted that she would, so she laughingly contradicted him.

  "We'll begin to-morrow," he repeated, smiling down at her so insistentlythat she dropped her eyes before his. Then to her surprise she foundthat her opposition had completely vanished. She felt that it would beone of the pleasantest pastimes that could be devised, to study such amusical language under such a teacher. But she had no intention ofletting him know how she felt about it for a long while, so she wasthankful for the interruption which came just then.

  Miss Marks, who was exploring the rest of the premises in search offurther possibilities, sent Gay to summon her to the front of the house.

  "She says to 'come into the garden, Maud.' She is going to add aTennysonian pose to her series of Fancies, and she's found a place wherethere's a bit of terrace for you to come tripping down, a la Maud, tothe tune of 'She is coming, my own, my sweet!'"

  Catching up her long filmy blue skirt, Lloyd hurried away, leaving Gayand Leland to follow as they chose. Leland finished the verse in aclear tenor voice as if singing to himself, but it followed Lloyd downthe walk as if meant for her alone:

  "'She is coming, my own, my sweet! Were it ever so airy a tread My heart would hear her and beat Though 'twere earth in an earthy bed. Would start and tremble under her feet And blossom in purple and red.'"

  Then he hummed it almost under his breath, the entire verse again,forgetful of Gay at his elbow until she spoke.

  "Wouldn't Kitty have looked adorable in that darling old hat tied underher chin? It's too bad she couldn't have been here to pose as Maud."

  "Oh, I don't know," he answered absently. "She's too dark for the part.Miss Lloyd looks it to perfection."

  Gay's eyes shone delightedly behind the white veil, and for a few stepsshe could not help skipping, as she blessed the Martinsville Springs,which had taken Kitty off in the nick of time to save her for adifferent fate. By the time Maud's picture was taken Alex arrived, andMiss Marks was promptly seized with an inspiration.

  "I am going to have two pictures of _Darby and Joan_," she exclaimed,"to add to the series. Alex, you take Lloyd down into the garden againbeside the phlox, and turn so that I'll get your profile. It is so likeyour uncle's. I'll call that one '_Hand in hand when our life was May._'Then I'll take Mrs. Shelby and the doctor in exactly the same positionas a companion piece, and call that '_Hand in hand when our hair isgray._'"

  They made a joke of it, the two old people, and obligingly took theplaces that Lloyd and Alex left, but a mist sprang to Lloyd's eyes amoment later, watching the devoted old couple who for fifty years hadbeen lovers and for forty-nine years had been wed. Marriage like thatseemed a beautiful thing; she wondered if such an experience would everbe hers. She wished Mammy Easter had found a better fortune for her thanthe one she told over her tea-cup.

  It was noon by the time the pictures were all taken, and Leland tookMiss Marks home in the carriage while Lloyd went up-stairs to change herdress. She wanted Gay and Leland to stop at The Locusts for lunch, butGay refused because she couldn't go to the table in a veil and under thecircumstances she couldn't go without one. She got out of the carriage,however, and sat on the porch while Leland took the old Colonel for ashort spin down the road, to try the new horses.

  "It's been a mighty nice morning," she said. "I wish Lucy could havebeen with us. She adores discovering old places like that and doingunexpected things. It almost spoiled my good times thinking of thewistful way she looked after us when we drove off."

  "But she's married!" exclaimed Lloyd. "I shouldn't think she'd care forthose things in quite the same way as she did before. I should thinkshe'd rather stay with her husband."

  "Bosh!" said Gay. "Being married doesn't change a person's dispositionand make tame old hens out of lively little humming-birds. That's justwhat Lucy was, a dear little humming-bird, always in a flutter of doingand going; and you needn't tell me that she enjoys poking there at homewith nobody but Jameson, as much as she would enjoy going out with usand doing things."

  "But he's her husband!" insisted Lloyd, as if that term covered all thatcould be desired of human companionship. Then she hummed meaningly:

  "'Hand in hand when our life was May, Hand in hand when our hair is gray!'"

  Gay shrugged her shoulders impatiently. "Oh, that Darby and Joanbusiness is all right when your hair _is_ gray, but Lucy is only a yearolder than I am, and Jameson doesn't interest himself in a single thingthat she likes. He's devoted to her, so devoted he doesn't want her outof his sight; but it's the kind of devotion that has taught me a lesson.If ever I tie myself up that way it will not be while life is May. I'llhave a good time first."

  Lloyd had no answer for such heresy. She was going over in her mind thelist of people from whom she had unconsciously taken her exaltedimpressions of married life: her mother and Papa Jack, the old Coloneland Amanthis, Doctor Shelby and Aunt Alicia, Rob's father and mother.She felt that Gay was mistaken. To be sure there were old Mr. and Mrs.Apwall, who quarrelled like cats and
dogs, but somehow even they hadgiven her the impression that they enjoyed their little encounters, andquarrelled to pass the time, rather than because they bore each otherany ill-will. Then she reflected that these were all people of an oldergeneration than Lucy, and maybe there was a difference in the times.Surely Gay must have good reason for speaking so feelingly. This was notthe first time that she had spoken of Lucy with tears in her eyes, andwhen she did that, Lloyd, recalling Mammy Easter's tea-cups, was vaguelyglad that it had been foretold that hers would be empty.

  The old Colonel came back in a few minutes loud in his praise of the newhorses, and to Lloyd's surprise, in high good humour with their owner.Evidently Leland had improved his opportunity and had exerted himself tomake friends with the old Colonel, for to Lloyd's amazement he cordiallyinsisted on Leland's considering The Locusts a second home as long as heshould be in the Valley, and to come at any hour he chose. Thelatch-string would be out for him.

  "I shall certainly avail myself of the privilege very soon," heresponded, "for to-morrow I have the honour to begin giving Miss Lloydlessons in Spanish. So few young ladies nowadays play the harp, thatwhen one has the ability she owes it to the world to learn the Spanishsongs. Don't you think so?"

  Lloyd opened her mouth to protest that she had not yet given herconsent, but closed it again as the old Colonel began expressing hispleasure at such an arrangement. She felt trapped. It was to please himthat she had learned to play on her grandmother's harp. Any reference toit always put him in a gentle humour. She wanted him to be cordial andfriendly with Leland, and was glad that he was no longer prejudicedagainst him, so she held her peace; but it exasperated her to have herconsent taken for granted in such a high-handed way. He had ridden overher objection as regardlessly as if she had never made any.

  She had boasted to herself, "He needn't put on any of his lordly wayswith _me_!" and here she was submitting meekly, without a word. Itworried her after they had driven away. All the time she was up in herroom, getting ready for lunch, she kept thinking about it.

  "I'll just give him to undahstand that it was on grandfathah's account,"she decided finally. "Instead of my influencing him as Gay expected, itlooks as if _he_ were winding _me_ around his fingah. But he isn't! Hesha'n't! I'll take the lessons, but I'll have no foolishness about it.I'll surprise him by sticking strictly to business, and I'll set him agood example of the way to live up to his own family motto."

  Mrs. Sherman, who made no objection to the lessons since the old Colonelapproved of them so heartily, was on the front porch with her embroiderywhen Leland came up the next morning, the first of July, to give thefirst lesson. She smiled to see how energetically Lloyd threw herselfinto it, thinking it was a matter of pride with her to show him whatrapid progress she could make.

  It certainly was a matter of pride with the Colonel, who enjoyed beingwaylaid to hear how beautifully she could count to one hundred or namethe months of the year. It became his habit to take the book, while,perched on the arm of his chair, she rattled off the vocabulary for theday's lesson, and reviewed all the others.

  "That's right! That's right!" he would say encouragingly. "At this rateyou'll soon be ready for a trip to the Alhambra, and I'm blessed if Idon't take you some of these days. I've always wanted to go."

  When Kitty came home from the springs Lloyd insisted on her joining theclass, but she declared she was too far behind to attempt catching up.Besides she was in charge of affairs at home now, and Elise was to havea house-party soon. There were half a dozen good reasons why she couldnot take the time. The principal one, which she did not give however,was that it was plain to be seen that Leland was more interested instudying Lloyd than in teaching her a language, and under suchcircumstances, Kitty preferred not to make the third party.

  So while Kitty's mornings were filled with her housekeeping duties,Betty's with her writing and Gay's with her music and plans to keep Lucyoccupied, it gradually came about that Leland spent more and more of histime at The Locusts. The lessons lasted only an hour, but after that heusually found some excuse to stay: there was a new song that he wantedto hear, or a game of tennis, or a stroll down to the post-office.Sometimes when he had no excuse at all he lingered anyhow, lounging onthe shady porch, and talking of anything that happened to comeuppermost. Then at night he was often there again, either because TheLocusts was the gathering place of the Clan, and a frolic was afoot, orhe went to escort Lloyd and Betty to the Cabin or The Beeches to someentertainment the other girls had planned.

  "My oh! What a buttahfly I'm getting to be!" laughed Lloyd one eveningas she went into her mother's room to have her dress buttoned. "Ahawse-back ride this mawning, a picnic this aftahnoon, and now therustic dance in the Mallards' barn to-night. But nevah mind, littlemothah," she added with a hug, as she caught a wistful look on Mrs.Sherman's face. "It'll all be ovah soon. This is the last summah of myteens. When I am old and twenty I'll nevah leave yoah side. 'I'll sit ona cushion and sew a fine seam' and take all the housekeeping cares offyoah shouldahs as a dutiful daughtah should."

  Mrs. Sherman gave her shoulder a caressing pat as she fastened the lastbutton. "I'm glad to have you go, dear," she answered, "especially toall the out-door merry-makings. They keep you young and well. Papa Jackand I will walk over after awhile and look on."

  "The Mallard barn dances are always so much fun," said Lloyd, lingeringto give a final touch to her mother's toilet. "Wait! Yoah side combs arein too high, and yoah collah isn't pinned straight in the back. How didyou evah manage to dress yoahself right befoah I grew up to tend toyou?"

  As she made the changes with all a young girl's particularity abouttrifles, she went on, "That last one they had three yeahs ago waslovely. Will you evah forget the way Rob cake-walked with Mrs. Bisbee?It makes me laugh to this day, whenevah I think of it."

  "I suppose Rob will hardly be there to-night," said Mrs. Sherman,smiling as she recalled the ridiculous appearance he had made. Hiscake-walk had been the feature of the evening.

  "No, indeed," answered Lloyd. "He's no moah likely to be there than theman in the moon. I wish he would though. He used to be the life ofeverything. We saw him this evening as we drove home from the picnic. Hehad just come out from town, and he looked so hot and dusty and ti'ahedit made me feel bad. He's like a strangah now, didn't stop to speak,only lifted his hat and turned in at the gate at Oaklea, as if he hadn'tgone on a thousand drives with us. He ought to have been interested inwhat we were doing for old times' sake."

  Lloyd had not thought of Rob for days, but she was reminded of him manytimes that evening, the affair at the Mallards' barn was so much likethe one to which he had taken her three years before. The same old negrofiddlers furnished the music. The same flickering lantern light madeweird shadows on the rough walls, and the same sweet smell of new hayfilled the place. As the music of the Virginia reel began she thought ofthe way Rob had romped through it that other time, and wished she couldsee him once more as jolly and care-free as he was then.

  "Why can one nevah have two good times exactly alike?" she wonderedwistfully. She was standing near the wide double doors, looking outacross the fields as she thought about it later, recalling how manythings were alike on the two occasions, even the colour of the dress shewore. She remembered that because Rob had said she looked like anapple-blossom, and it was rare indeed for him to make such complimentaryspeeches. It wasn't best for girls to hear nice things about themselvesoften, he said. It made them hard to get along with, too uppity.

  The music stopped and Leland Harcourt came to find her. She was lookingso pensively past the gay scene that he bent over her, humming in a lowtone:

  "'What's this dull town to me? Robin Adair? What was 't I wished to see? What wished to hear?'"

  She started with a little laugh, blushing slightly because he seemed tohave read her thoughts. "Robin Adair" was one of Mrs. Moore's old namesfor Rob, and she _had_ been wishing for him.

  Over at Oaklea, Rob sat scowling at a book spread out
before him on thelibrary table. He was thinking of Harcourt as he had seen him on thefront seat beside Lloyd, in his cool-looking white flannels, the veryembodiment of gentlemanly leisure. No doubt she noticed the contrastbetween them, he all dusty and dishevelled from his day's work and thetrip home on the hot car. Not that he would change places, not that heregretted for an instant the part he had to take in the grimy workingworld. But the chance encounter had suddenly opened his eyes to all thathe had had to sacrifice for that work. Until now it had not even lefthim time to realize how much he had given up. Now to find this strangerenjoying all that was once his, stung him to envy. He smiled grimly ashe recognized it as envy. He had thought himself free from such achildish trait. But he could not smile away the feeling. It persistedtill it accomplished more than the old Judge's advice and his mother'spleadings, that all work and no play was bad for him. Closing his bookhe announced his intention of walking over to The Locusts.

  As he went up the avenue he heard the distant scraping of fiddles andthe rhythmic beating of feet in the Mallard barn. He had forgotten thatit was the night of the rustic dance.

  He was disappointed at finding no one at home but the old Colonel. Buthis welcome was so cordial that he stayed even longer than he hadintended. The Colonel always had the latest news of every one, butto-night he had to talk first of the wonderful progress Lloyd was makingin Spanish, and what a fine fellow that young Harcourt was.

  "Didn't like the chap at all at first," he confided. "Thought he was toomuch of a confounded foreigner; but I'm a big enough man I hope toacknowledge a mistake, and I own up I was prejudiced."

  When Rob finally rose to start home, the Colonel would not let him gountil he had promised to come again the next night, when Lloyd and Bettyshould be at home. Afterwards he regretted having made the promise.Although he went early Harcourt was already there, seemingly as much athome as if he were a member of the family. It made Rob feel like astranger to see this newcomer usurping the place that he had alwaysfilled in the Sherman household.

  It grated on him also to hear Lloyd saying, "Si, senor" and "gracias"when she addressed Harcourt, and grated still more for Harcourt to turnto her as he did continually with some aside in Spanish. Never more thana phrase or a word, and "just for practice," they laughingly explained,but it seemed to emphasize a tie that had drawn them together,and--Rob's remoteness.

  He left early. Walking slowly down the avenue he thought of the hundredsof times he had passed under those old locust-trees on sweet starlightedsummer nights like this. What a goodly company of old friends they were!The kind that never change. He looked up, vaguely grateful for the softlisping of leaves above him. They seemed to understand why he was going,why he could not stay.

  Half-way down the avenue he heard the tinkle of Lloyd's harp, and thenher voice beginning to sing. The seat beside the measuring tree was justahead and he made his way to it, quietly, on tip-toe almost, that hemight lose no note. But it was an unknown tongue she was singing, a songthat Harcourt had taught her, and Rob could not understand a word. Itwas so symbolical of the change that had come between them that a fierceimpulse seized him to rush back to the house and throw the interloperout of the window. Then he smiled bitterly at his own vehemence. Whatright had he to be so savage over her friendship? He was her big brotheronly, and even that merely in name, because she had chosen to call himso in those years that they had been such loyal good chums. It waslittle and mean and selfish of him to begrudge her the slightest thingthat would give her pleasure. This man with his fortune, hisaccomplishments, his rare social gifts had everything to offer, whilehe,--he had not even _time_ to put at her disposal. Time to find bypathsto happiness for her--

  The sweet clear voice sang on, the old locusts rustled softly as thenight wind stirred them. Then the song stopped, and for a long time hesat staring ahead of him with unseeing eyes. At last he rose, and takinga step towards the tree beside the bench, passed his hand over the bark,groping for the notches he knew were there but could not see.

  He paused at the one a little higher than his shoulder, and then hisfingers found the four leaf clover he had carved beside it, the lasttime Lloyd had stood up to be measured. He could almost see her standingthere again like Elaine, the lily-maid, fair-haired and smiling while herepeated the charm of the four leaf clover:

  "'Love be true to her-- Joy draw near to her-- Fortune find what your Gifts can do for her--'"

  He had forgotten how the lines went but it made no difference. Anyhowthey voiced what had always been his dearest wish for her, and standingthere in the dark he vowed savagely that any man who stood in the way ofthe old charm's coming true, should have him to reckon with.

  When he swung off down the path, taking the short cut to Oaklea, his hatwas pulled grimly down over his eyes, and his mouth was set in a firmhard line. He did not open his books again that night. Lying on thecouch by his open window, he watched the lights at The Locusts shiningthrough the trees, till the last one went out, and he knew that Harcourthad gone.