“Oh, yes. Quite pleasant.” “That’s nice. I somehow imagined they might persuade you to stay a little longer.” “No, when I said I ought to be coming home, she sent to the garage and had the automobile brought around for me.” Baron nodded. “And she wasn’t disappointed, then?” “She was very nice about it. She asked me to come again. She told the man that any time I telephoned to him he might come with the machine and get me--here, you know. Any afternoon. It seems Mr. Thornburg never uses the machine in the afternoons, and she doesn’t care for it herself. She was just as nice as she could be. And of course I’m going back. But you know I really belong here.” “Yes, certainly,” assented Baron. “Yes, I understand that.” He was still a bit puzzled. He added tentatively: “Wasn’t everything very beautiful there?” “Beautiful? In what way?” “The house--the grounds--everything.” “Oh--the settings! Yes, they were quite pretentious. But they never count for so much, really. It is the action and the dialogue that really count. And I like the action and the dialogue here much better.” CHAPTER XXII BAGGOT’S PLAY When you are told that you have only to telephone to a certain garage, and a very fine, large automobile will be sent around to your house, entirely at your service, a very strong temptation has been placed in your way. Bonnie May could scarcely believe that she could achieve so much by a mere word or two over the telephone, and it was not at all surprising that she experimented within a day or two after her first visit to the Thornburg home. The automobile came with almost incredible promptness, and a chauffeur who had the gallant bearing of a soldier did everything but fling a cloak on the ground for Bonnie May to walk on. She called rather briefly and formally on Mrs. Thornburg on this occasion, but the experience had its special, delighting excitements. The experiment was repeated frequently, and the truth must be recorded that before long Bonnie May was spending her time more or less equally between the mansion and the Thornburg home. She became something of a personage during those days. Baggot called on Baron one afternoon, and upon being informed that Baron was out, he asked for Bonnie May, and spent fully an hour with her, leaving her in a high state of complacency. The next day he called again, and this time he did not ask for Baron. He came, he said, to call on Bonnie May. But this time she was not in. She spent a good part of her time as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Thornburg, Baggot was told--which indicates clearly enough how the status of affairs had changed. Baggot made a note of this information and went away in a thoughtful mood. The members of the Baron family considered these developments without commenting upon them very much at first. But one day Baron, Sr., took occasion to express an opinion.