As she finished the somewhat elaborate process, there came steps outside. "It's just me," said the voice of the little captain. Bettina peeped through the door, and announced; "Miss Matthews is sick." "I know. I met Anthony Blake, and he told me; and what I want to know is, can I do anything----?" "Nothing--thanks." "Yes, he can," said the hoarse voice of the invalid. "He can come in. If he doesn't mind my head, I shan't mind him." The captain, entering, found Miss Matthews in a big chair, her feet covered by a steamer rug, her gray flannel apparel hidden by a white wool shawl which had belonged to Betty's mother, and topping all was the wonderful head-dress of rose-colored ribbon, beneath which Miss Matthews' plain little peaked face looked out wistfully. "Well, now," said the captain, as he shook hands, "that pink becomes her, don't it?" Miss Matthews blushed. "Betty fixed it." "I always did like bright things on wimmen," said the captain, earnestly, "and I like that pink." "Of course you do," said Betty; "all men like pink, except those who like blue, and now you must go away, for I've got to put my patient to bed." "Don't you cook anything for her," said the captain, as he backed out of the door, his eyes still gloating over the rosy-beribboned lady on the hearth-rug. "I'll bring you over a bowl of hot chowder to-night, and if there's anything else you want, you just let me know." "Delia will look out for the other things," said Betty; "she's going to send little Jane to help me. But we shall be very glad to have the chowder." With Miss Matthews asleep at last, Bettina sat down to write a note to Justin. It was very brief, and began abruptly: "I am going to tell Anthony. I lay awake all night and thought it out. It wouldn't be fair for me to marry him--unless he knew. I'd get to be just a shivery shadow, Justin, afraid that he would find that I didn't love him--that I loved somebody else. "But I can never tell him with his grave eyes watching me, so I'm going to write, now--to-night. It almost seems as if poor Letty had been made a sort of instrument of Providence so that I could be here at this time. I couldn't stay at Diana's with everything over between me--and Anthony. "Oh, Justin, will he ever want to be friends with us again? Will Diana ever forgive us? "I wish you were here. Yet you mustn't be here--not until everything is settled. Somehow I don't dare think that we can ever be happy. It doesn't seem right to think of it, does it? "_But I love you._" She gave her note to the little captain when he came with the chowder. He brought something beside the chowder. In a square box, smelling of sandalwood, was an exquisite kimono of palest pink crepe, embroidered with wisteria blossoms.