which one could she have attempted any thing of the kind, without
leading him to suppose that she was taking leave of her senses?

She recalled some of the gay words that she had spoken with these
others, and tried, hurriedly, to decide why it would sound to her
perfectly absurd to talk with Alfred Ried in that way. However, she did
not want to talk with him; he was too full of questionings. "And
questions," said poor Gracie, "are all that I can ask myself. I want
somebody to talk with who is assured of the ground on which he stands,
and can tell me why he stands there."

There was not time for further talk--they were summoned to the new room.
Bursts of laughter greeted their ears as they made their way eagerly
across the hall, and Gracie took time to remark that the boys were
certainly not awed into silence, before the opening door let them into
the brightly-lighted scene. Every boy was laughing, not quietly, but
immoderately, and the centre of attraction was evidently Mr. Roberts.

"I have been giving our friends an account of an old army experience,"
he said, in explanation to Gracie, "and we have been enjoying a laugh
together over the old memory. You are all acquainted with Miss Dennis, I
think, young gentlemen?"

Clearly there was no need for any one to introduce Mr. Roberts to the
boys; apparently they knew him now better than they did any of the
others. Yet as Gracie, after shaking hands with each of the guests, took
a vacant seat by Nimble Dick, she was greeted with a confidential
whisper:--

"That's a jolly chap as ever I saw; and I never heard anything to beat