was now bringing the other about her neck, arranging the leaves and
flowers with skilful touches. Three men, including the new-comer,
watched her pretty air of absorption, and the deftness of her taper
fingers, the sweep of her dark lashes on her cheek as from the height of
her step she looked down at her companion, the curves of her beautiful
mouth that at the moment was daintly holding a pin with which the end of
the spray was to be fastened upon the front of the other's white dress.
It was certainly effective there. Yet none of the three men noticed
this, or saw that between the two girls the question as to beauty was a
question of time, that while the one face was blooming now in the
perfection of its charm, the charm of the other was still in its calyx.
The adorner intuitively felt something of this. Perhaps she was not the
less fond of her friend that the charms she saw in her were not patent
to everybody. Bring her forward as much as she might, Katie felt that
Elizabeth Royal would never be a rival. She even shrank from this kind
of prominence into which Katie's play was bringing her now. She had been
taken in hand at unawares and showed an impatience that if the other
were not quick, would oblige her to leave the work unfinished.

"There," cried Katie, at last giving the leaves a final pat of
arrangement, "that looks well, don't you think so, Master Waldo?"

"Good morning, Mistress Archdale," broke in a voice before Waldo could
answer. "And you, Mistress Royal," bowing low to her. "After our late
hours last night, permit me to felicitate you upon your good health this
morning, and--" he was about to add, "your charming appearance," but
something in the girl's eyes as she looked full at him held back the
words, and for a moment ruffled his smooth assurance. But as he
recovered himself and turned to salute the gentlemen, the smile on his
lips had triumph through its vexation.