Parkers' notice, he might have had almost any sort of affair; even
one of those affairs of which May and Ida must properly seem
unaware. He might have flirted with Grace, have taken her about and
given her presents, in absolute safety. Grace would have guessed him
to be only amusing himself, and even confident Rodney, his mother's
favourite and baby, would never have attempted to bring Grace Hawkes
home as his sisters' equal.

But with Martie there was a great difference. The Monroes had been
going down slowly but steadily in the social scale, yet they were
Monroes, after all. Lydia Monroe had been almost engaged to Clifford
Frost, years ago, and still, at all public affairs, the Monroes, the
Parkers, and the Frosts met as old friends and equals. Indeed, the
Parker girls and Florence Frost had been known to ask the girls'
only brother, Leonard Monroe, to their parties, young as he was, men
being very scarce in Monroe, and Leonard, although his sisters were
not asked, had gone.

So that when Rodney Parker stopped Martie Monroe on the way home,
and fell to flattering and teasing her, and walked beside her to the
bridge, he quite innocently plunged himself into social hot water,
and laid a disturbing touch upon the smooth surface of the girl's
life.

They talked of trivialities, laughing much. Rodney asked her if she
remembered the dreadful day when they had been sent up to apologize
to the French teacher, and Martie said, "Mais oui.'" and thrilled at
the little intimate memory of disgrace shared.

"And are you still such a little devil, Martie?" he asked, bringing