"But I thought Mrs. Benchley was coming into town to-day," Bert
said. Dorothy was now Mrs. George Benchley. Hawkes spoke at last.
"An old friend of Mrs. Benchley has unexpectedly arrived this
morning, sir, and she has changed her mind." "Oh, all right," said
Bert, grinning at Nancy as the pleasant drive began.

It was all wonderful; the bright autumn sunshine, the sense of
freedom and leisure in the early afternoon, and the lovely roads
they followed. Bert however, seemed to be thinking of his sons,
and asked of them more than once. And Nancy could not rid herself
of an uncomfortable suspicion that whoever Dorothy's old friend
was, she had changed Dorothy's plans, and perhaps made the coming
of the Bradleys untimely. Now and then husband and wife smiled at
each other and said "This is fun!"

Dorothy's "place" was a beautiful estate, heavily wooded, wound
with white driveways, and equipped with its own tennis courts, and
its boathouse on the river. The house was enormous, and naturally
had assumed none of the personality of its occupants, in this
casual summer tenancy. There were countless rooms, all filled with
tables and chairs and rugs and desks and bowls of flowers; and
several maids came and went in the interest of the comfort of the
house. There were seven or eight other guests besides the
Bradleys, and they all seemed to know each other well. The
unexpected guest was a young Mrs. Catlin affectionately mentioned
by Dorothy in every other breath as "Elaine"; she and Dorothy had
been taken to Europe together, after their schooldays, and had
formed an intimacy then.

Dorothy came into the big hall to meet her cousin and his wife,