it is none of my business; and Margaret says that it was a long, long

time ago and she really can't remember.

But I fancy we can all form a very fair notion of what is most likely

to occur when two sensible, normal, healthy young people are thrown

together in this intimate fashion at a country-house where the

remaining company consists of two elderly gentlemen. Billy was forced

to be polite to his uncle's guest; and Margaret couldn't well be

discourteous to her host's nephew, could she? Of course not: so

it befell in the course of time that Frederick R. Woods and the

Colonel--who had quickly become a great favourite, by virtue of his