"There is no excuse for it, unless you were engaged to be married,
dear, and going on a visit to your prospective people-in-law," she
said. "I couldn't let you go off without me otherwise."

It was too tempting. Before she thought, Joy had spoken.

"If I were, would it be all right?" she asked.

Grandfather answered her, somewhat at length.

"My dear child, you know my feelings about love. I myself married
your grandmother after a two days' courtship, when she was seventeen
and I was twenty-one; and I may say that I have never regretted
it--nor, I hope, has she. If you were affianced, nothing should
cause me to interfere with the course of true love. Your grandmother
and I would let you go to visit his people willingly. Your assurance
that you loved him----"

Joy leaned forward, her eyes blazing with excitement.

"And suppose I told you I was engaged, would you let me go to visit
Phyllis, if she lived near him, and--and his people were so situated
that he couldn't have me?"

Grandfather was perfectly certain that Joy was no more engaged than
old Elizabeth the cook was, and he went on placidly with his
hypothetical case, which was also his hobby.

"If I had met the young man, received him socially, even once, my
child, you may be sure, under those circumstances, you might go. One