"That's not the question," said Janet, smiling. It was pleasant to see Apollo looking less petulant. "But what would people say if they heard I had poems of Mr. Dale Bannister's about me? I should be thought a dangerous person." "I'll write some which you would like to have." "I am sure you could, if you only would. Fancy, if you wrote really noble verses--worthy of you!" "Well, I will, if it will please you." "Nonsense, Mr. Bannister! There's no question of pleasing me: it doesn't matter--well, I mean, then, the great thing is to do justice to yourself." "I ought to have some encouragement in well-doing," said Dale plaintively. She shook her head with a smile, and he went on: "I wish you'd come to Littlehill and see the house. I've improved it tremendously." "Oh, you must invite mamma." "Would Mrs. Delane come?" This question was a little awkward, for Mrs. Delane, after cross-examining Tora Smith closely as to Mrs. Hodge and her daughter, had announced that she would not go. "A bachelor doesn't entertain ladies, does he?" "I should like to; and there are some ladies----" A sudden thought struck him, and he stopped. He looked so pointedly at Janet that, to her intense annoyance, she felt herself blushing. She made the grave mistake of changing the conversation abruptly. "How did you like the Smiths?" "Oh, pretty well." "I should have thought you would have got on tremendously well together." "Oh, I don't know. I think I like people to be one thing or the other, and the Smiths are halfway housers." "You're very ungrateful." "Oh, they only asked us as a demonstration," said Dale, who had some acuteness. Janet laughed, but her companion was moodily prodding the ground with his stick as he walked along. They reached a cottage where she had a visit to pay, and she bade him good-by. "Then you won't have the verses?" "I think not." "Very well, then, here goes;" and he took the paper out of his pocket and tore it to bits. The fragments fluttered to the ground. "How foolish!" she said. "I dare say they were worth a lot of money--but, then, you can write them out again." "Do you think I shall?" he asked, grinding the fragments into the mud. "I'm afraid you will do nothing wise," she said, giving him her hand. Yet the extravagance rather pleased her. Until Dale reached his own house it did not strike him that he had lost his bet. Philip quickly reminded him, and laughed mercilessly when a crumpled five-pound note was thrown at his head by his angry friend. "I tell you she wanted to keep them," said Dale unjustifiably. "Then why didn't she?" asked Nellie. "Mrs. Delane didn't approve of it." "I expect Mrs. Delane doesn't approve of you at all," remarked Philip. "No, nor of my friends either," answered Dale, flinging himself into a chair. "Well, my dear," said Mrs. Hodge, who sat by, "her opinion will neither make us nor mar us." "How have we had the misfortune to offend the lady?" inquired Philip. "She has never seen us."