pulled herself up; and there had been a little moment
during which each might have been keeping some
thing from the other. " Only," said Milly's mate,
"I luckily remembered in time that I had nothing
whatever to keep which was much simpler and
nicer. I don't know what Maud has, but there it
is. She was interested, distinctly, in your knowing
him in his having met you over there with so little
loss of time. But I ventured to tell her it hadn't
been so long as to make you as yet great friends.
I don't know if I was right."

Whatever time this explanation might have taken,
there had been moments enough in the matter now
before the elder woman's conscience had done itself
justice to enable Milly to reply that although the
fact in question doubtless had its importance she
imagined they wouldn't find the importance over
whelming. It was odd that their one Englishman
should so instantly fit; it wasn t, however, miracu
lous they surely all had often seen that, as every
one said, the world was extraordinarily " small."
Undoubtedly, too, Susie had done just the plain
thing in not letting his name pass. Why in the
world should there be a mystery? and what an im
mense one they would appear to have made if he
should come back and find they had concealed their
knowledge of him! "I don't know, Susie dear,"
the girl observed, " what you think I have to con
ceal."

"It doesn't matter, at a given moment," Mrs.

[[204]]

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v?