"Unpardonably?"
"N-no. I always can pardon."
"You dear!" said Constance impulsively. "Listen; Virginia does snippy things at times. I don't know why and she doesn't either. I know she's sorry she was rude to you, but she seems to think her rudeness too utterly unpardonable. May I tell her it isn't?"
"If you please," said Shiela quietly.
Miss Palliser looked at her, then, succumbing, took her hand in hers.
"No wonder people like you, Miss Cardross."
"Do you?"
"How could I escape the popular craze?" laughed Miss Palliser, a trifle embarrassed.
"That is not an answer," returned Shiela, the smile on her red lips faintly wistful. And Constance surrendered completely.
"You sweet, cunning thing," she said, "I do like you. You are perfectly adorable, for one reason; for the other, there is something—a nameless something about you—"