John laughed. He thought her witty, and continued with her, though the rest of the way to Rosemont was short and plain. Presently she turned upon the two horsemen a pair of unaggressive but invincible eyes, saying, languorously, "Mr. March, I want you to show Widewood to Mr. Fair--to-morrow. Pop-a's been talking about showing it to him, but I want him to see it with just you alone." To Fair there always seemed a reserve of merriment behind Miss Garnet's gravity, and a reserve of gravity behind her brightest gayety. This was one thing that had drawn him back to Rosemont. Her ripples never hid her depths, yet she was never too deep to ripple. I give his impressions for what they may be worth. He did not formulate them; he merely consented to stay a day longer. A half-moon was growing silvery when John said good-by at the gate of the campus. "Now, in the morning, Mr. Fair, I'll meet you somewhere between here and the pike. I wish I could say you'd meet my mother, but she's in poor health--been so ever since the war." * * * * * That night Garnet lingered in his wife's room to ask-- "Do you think Barb really missed the road, or was that----" "Yes, they took the old creek road by mistake." "Has Fair--said anything to her?" "No; she didn't expect or wish it----" "Well, I don't see why." --"And he's hardly the sort to do unexpected things." "They've agreed to ride right after breakfast. What d'you reckon that's for?" "Not what you wish. But still, for some reason she wants you to leave him entirely to himself." College being in session breakfast was early. "Barb, you'll have to take care of Mr. Fair to-day, I reckon. You might take my horse, sir. I'll be too busy indoors to use him." The girl and her cavalier took but a short gallop. They had nearly got back to the grove gate when he ventured upon a personal speech; but it was only to charge her with the art of blundering cleverly. She assured him that her blunders were all nature and her art accident. "Whenever I want to be witty I get into a hurry, and haste is the an-ti-dote of wit." "Miss Garnet," he thought, as her eyes rested calmly in his, "your gaze is too utterly truthful." "Ah!" said Barbara, "here's Mr. March now." Fair wished he might find out why Miss Garnet should be out-man[oe]uvring her father. XXXI. MR. FAIR VENTURES SOME INTERROGATIONS The air was full of joy that morning, and John boyishly open and hearty. "Fact is, Mr. Fair, I don't care for young ladies' company. Half of them are frauds and the rest are a delusion and a snare--ha-ha-ha! Miss Garnet is new goods, as the boys say, and I'm not fashionable. Even our mothers ain't very well acquainted yet; though my mother's always regretted it; their tastes differ. My mother's literary, you know." "They say Miss Garnet's a great romp--among other girls--and an unmerciful mimic." "Don't you rather like that?"