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that all his pomposity oozed out—temporarily at least—under the torture. Perhaps the incident may do him a world of good.

“Of course I scolded Ilse. She is a glad, daring creature and counts no cost. She will always do whatever she takes it into her head to do, even if it were to turn a somersault in the church aisle. I love her—love her—love her; and what I will do without her next year I do not know. Our tomorrows will always be separated after this—and grow apart—and when we meet occasionally it will be as strangers. Oh, I know—I know.

“Ilse was furious over what she called Perry’s ‘presumption’ in thinking I could ever marry him.

“‘Oh, it was not presumption—it was condescension,’ I said, laughing. ‘Perry belongs to the great ducal house of Carabas.’

“‘Oh, he’ll succeed, of course. But there’ll always be a flavor of Stovepipe Town about him,’ retorted Ilse.

“‘Why have you always been so hard on Perry, Ilse?’ I protested.

“‘He’s such a cackling oaf,’ said Ilse morosely.

“‘Oh, well, he’s just at the age when a boy knows everything,’ I said, feeling quite wise and elderly. ‘He will grow more ignorant and endurable after a while,’ I went on, feeling epigrammatic. ‘And he has improved in these Shrewsbury years,’ I concluded, feeling smug.

“‘You talk as if he were a cabbage,‘ fumed Ilse. ‘For heaven’s sake, Emily, don’t be so superior and patronising!”

“There are times when Ilse is good for me. I know I deserved that.

“Last night I dreamed I stood in the old summer-house at New Moon and saw the Lost Diamond sparkling on the floor at my feet. I picked it up in delight. It lay in my hand for a moment—then it seemed to elude my grasp, flash through the air, leaving a long, slender trail of brilliance behind it, and become a star in the western sky,