“That’s right, for I do not know the name of it myself.  I saw how to prepare it in a book, but the name is beyond me.  There is no English word to express how nice this tastes, so you must eat in French to-night, papa,” sitting beside him to assist.  “The little book tells how to prepare some lovely little stews and dishes, and I am going to make some of them for you.  But don’t be alarmed, papa!  I’ll try all the new inventions on myself first—­to see if they are safe, you know!  But, between you and me, papa, the author of the little cook book is a fraud!  Some of the dishes are quite plebeian.  He goes on to say how to prepare some toast, so-and-so, some milk and butter, or cream, so-and-so, put this and that in it, then you dish it up and call it—­oh!  I can’t say what he calls it; but, if you will believe me, it is just ‘cream toast,’ and nothing else, disguised under a high-sounding name to deceive innocent people, and make them believe they are eating something very high-toned.  Just a little more tea, papa.  But I am up to their tricks and I’ll not palm off any old-fashioned dishes on you, under a Frenchified name,” and she chatted on, helping him and preparing what was before him, till she had beguiled him into making quite a hearty meal.

That evening Mr. Traverse made his appearance as usual, bringing with him a pretty basket of fruit, and his inquiries after Mr. Sherwood’s health were made so earnestly that Dexie felt sure he could not have been in during the afternoon; someone else must have left the papers.

As may be supposed, Traverse was in excellent humor.  He seemed bubbling over with good-natured fun, and even Dexie thawed out sufficiently to answer his repartees less caustically than usual.

“Something very pleasant must have happened to you to-day,” said Gussie, looking at him archly, “or else you have been studying a joke-book for our amusement.”

“Well, I have good reason to be jolly to-night,” he replied, changing his seat so as to watch Dexie’s face.  “I am going to be married!  That fact alone ought to make any reasonable man happy, don’t you think?”

This announcement was so unexpected by everyone, that even Mr. Sherwood looked up in surprise, and wondered “what next,” and Dexie’s eyes flashed in indignation as she said to herself: 

“Then he was only trying to get up a flirtation with me, after all, and his tender looks and gallant speeches were only intended to draw me out!  How glad I am I never gave him the smallest encouragement!  What should I have done if he had guessed my secret?  Yet he looked so true—­who would believe he was so deceitful?  Oh, dear!”

She bent her head lower over her work, and said not a word.  No one should ever know how her heart ached at that announcement.

Gussie had always feared that if ever Guy Traverse gave up his “city girl” he would turn to Dexie for consolation, and she was glad to hear this announcement.  Dexie was not going to get him, after all.  She hoped Dexie would feel disappointed, but she smiled sweetly as she said: