"So this is why Rob turned up to-night. I might have guessed as much!" cried Rosalind, laughing. "But really, Peggy, I have been so accustomed to thinking of you in India that I never gwasped the idea that you might be here, till I looked up and saw you walking acwoss the woom with your head in the air, and the old Mawiquita stwide. I can't tell you how glad I am to see you. You must come and stay with me, dear, and I'll tell you all my news, and we can go about together. When can you come? We shall be in town for some weeks yet, so any time that suits you will do for me." "I'm afraid I can't make any promises at present, Rosalind, for we are house-hunting, and when we find what we want we shall be busy getting all in order. The only visit I mean to pay this summer is to Mrs Asplin at the vicarage, and I am going there with Mellicent in ten days' time. Mellicent is here to-night; she is staying with us at the hotel." "You don't mean it! Mellicent Asplin here! How extwaordinary it seems!" Rosalind gave a chilly little laugh, and tilted her chin in the air. "You are vewy couwageous, Mawiquita. I should never have dared such an experiment. The Asplins are charming in the country, but they seem out of place in town. And your first season too! What possessed you to saddle yourself with such a hopeless burden as poor fat Mellicent?" "Poor fat Mellicent is not hopeless at all; she is so much appreciated to-night that I've not had a chance of a word with her for the last hour. She is not fat, and looks far too bonnie to deserve any pity; besides, I wanted to see her badly, and didn't care a bit about her appearance. I love the Asplins, and would do anything I could to give them pleasure. They were unspeakably good to Arthur and to me. I don't know what we should have done without them all the time we were alone." Rosalind's face sobered suddenly, and she gave a struggling sigh.