"I am afraid of the gardener," laughed Jaquelina, shrinking back from the trim and well-kept flower-beds. "I will take anything you choose to give me." "Daisies would suit you," said Walter Earle, looking at the sweet, shy face. "Scarlet geraniums or roses," said Violet, thinking how beautifully they would contrast with the dark eyes and the white dress. Ronald Valchester studied the drooping face attentively, as the dark eyes gazed at the brilliant flowers, the dark, curling lashes shading the rose-flushed cheek. "Passion-flowers, I think," he said, and gathered a cluster of the bright flowers from the trellis and offered them to her. She took them with a slight bow, and fastened them in her belt. What had Ronald Valchester, the gifted, thoughtful student, read in the lovely, innocent face of the simple girl that had prompted him to offer her passion-flowers for her type? Walter Earle looked surprised, but he set it down as one of Valchester's odd freaks, and told Jaquelina that the flowers were very becoming. Violet said that roses would have looked prettier. Then she gathered some dewy violets and pinned them on his coat with pretty, careless coquetry. "Lina, we are going to have a dance on the lawn," said the latter. "Do you like to dance?" "No," said Jaquelina, and the fitful color came and went in her cheeks. "Why not?" Violet said, surprised. "Because I do not know how to dance," Jaquelina said, so timidly and naively that Walter Earle and Ronald Valchester laughed. Then Walter said, good-naturedly: "Oh, that is nothing. You must dance with me. I will show you how to do the steps and the figures." "You are sure I shall not appear awkward?" she asked, her sensitive pride on the alert. "You could not be awkward if you tried ever so hard," said the gallant young collegiate, captivated by the artless shyness and prettiness of the little girl whom at first he had only meant to patronize. So they danced together. Jaquelina fell into it all so naturally and happily that no one felt inclined to laugh at her when now and then she made a misstep, or caused a whole quadrille to blunder. She was so ashamed and penitent over her little mistakes that it was a pleasure to set her right and forgive her. We pardon so many errors in youth and beauty. After awhile Ronald Valchester, dancing with Violet, said, carelessly: "Your friend, Miss Meredith, is exceedingly pretty--is she not, Miss Earle?" Violet looked across at Jaquelina, who was dancing with someone whom Walter had introduced to her--a handsome, manly young fellow, who seemed to admire his partner very much. She was startled at the radiant beauty that happiness had kindled in Jaquelina's changeful face. "She is not always so pretty," Violet said, quickly; "it is the effect of the moonlight and lamplight! You should see her at home by daylight. She is tanned and sunburned, and terribly shabby. Would you believe she is wearing her dead mother's wedding-dress to-night?"