tell you last night how he lived with us in Europe? And when we were all
coming over on the steamer together Mr. Libby and Mr. Maynard were
together the whole time, smoking and telling stories. They were the
greatest friends! Why, it isn't as if he was a stranger, or an enemy of
Mr. Maynard's."

Grace dropped her sewing into her lap. "Really, Louise, you're
incredible!" She looked sternly at the invalid; but broke into a laugh,
on which Mrs. Maynard waited with a puzzled face. As Grace said nothing
more, she helplessly resumed:--

"We did n't expect to go down the cliff when he first called in the
evening. But he said he would help me up again, and--he did, nicely. I
was n't exhausted a bit; and how I took more cold I can't understand; I
was wrapped up warmly. I think I took the cold when I was sitting there
after our game of croquet, with my shawl off. Don't you think so?" she
wheedled.

"Perhaps," said Grace.

"He did nothing but talk about you, Grace," said Mrs. Maynard, with a sly
look at the other. "He's awfully afraid of you, and he kept asking about
you."

"Louise," said the other, gravely ignoring these facts, "I never
undertook the care of you socially, and I object very much to lecturing
you. You are nearly as old as I am, and you have had a great deal more
experience of life than I have." Mrs. Maynard sighed deeply in assent.
"But it does n't seem to have taught you that if you will provoke people
to talk of you, you must expect criticism. One after another you've told