"How shall you treat him?" asked the girl curiously.

The old lady bent again over her embroidery.

"I think I shall just say nothing. I hope he will ride this afternoon.
Will you go with him?"

"I think not. He won't want anyone. I know Laurie."

The other looked up at her sideways in a questioning way, and Maggie
went on with a kind of slow decisiveness.

"He will be queer at lunch. Then he will probably ride alone and be
late for tea. Then tomorrow--"

"Oh! my dear, Mrs. Stapleton is coming to lunch tomorrow. Do you think
he'll mind?"

"Who is Mrs. Stapleton?"

The old lady hesitated.

"She's--she's the wife of Colonel Stapleton. She goes in for what I
think is called New Thought; at least, so somebody told me last month.
I'm afraid she's not a very steady person. She was a vegetarian last
year; now I believe she's given that up again."

Maggie smiled slowly, showing a row of very white, strong teeth.