too."

"Yes, I know." The girl was evidently trying to steady her
voice. "But I should like to wait a few days--to have a
little more time to myself."

Anna continued to consider her kindly. It was evident that
she did not care to say why she wished to leave Givre so
suddenly, but her disturbed face and shaken voice betrayed a
more pressing motive than the natural desire to spend the
weeks before her marriage under her old friends' roof.
Since she had made no response to the allusion to Madame de
Chantelle, Anna could but conjecture that she had had a
passing disagreement with Owen; and if this were so, random
interference might do more harm than good.

"My dear child, if you really want to go at once I sha'n't,
of course, urge you to stay. I suppose you have spoken to
Owen?"

"No. Not yet..."

Anna threw an astonished glance at her. "You mean to say
you haven't told him?"

"I wanted to tell you first. I thought I ought to, on
account of Effie." Her look cleared as she put forth this
reason.

"Oh, Effie!--" Anna's smile brushed away the scruple. "Owen