“Maggie is a clever girl; I know she is far cleverer than I am; but if you knew her as well as I do, you would find she did not understand all you think she understands.” “How do you mean?” “Maggie's cleverness lies in being able to pretend she understands what she knows nothing about; I have often caught her out.” “Really; but how do you get on together now?” “Pretty well! I don't think there is much love lost on either side. I don't know why--I never could understand Maggie. You have no idea of the reports she spreads about me all over the place--the stories she tells the Grahams, the Prestons, the Wells. She told Mrs. Wells that I fell in love with every young man that came to Southwick. She said awful things about me. As for that story about telling cook to put father's dinner back, I don't think I ever shall hear the last of it. What made father so angry was because he thought it was to talk to Jimmy in the slonk.” “You told me the last time I was here that you wanted to finish a conversation with him in the slonk.” “I may have told you that it was to speak to him about his sister Fanny,” Sally replied evasively. “I would not care if I never saw him again; but I couldn't get on if I weren't allowed to see Fanny. Father wanted me to promise never to enter the house again!” “But you have flirted with him?” “I don't know that I have; certainly not more than Maggie. Last summer she was hanging round his neck every evening under the sycamores. I caught them twice.” “I don't see any harm in going under the sycamores. I daresay Maggie has allowed him to kiss her; so have you!” “That I assure you I haven't.” “You mean to say a man never kissed you?” “I didn't say that. I haven't kissed any one for years.” “Who did kiss you?” “You don't know him. I was only eighteen. He was a married man; it was very wrong of me.” “I wish I had been he.” “Do you? I hate him; he was a beast for doing it.” Sally often indulged in these half confessions; one of her aunts used to call them her “side lights.” By their aid she succeeded in interesting Frank. “How candid she is to tell me--to confide in me!” Sally was handsome now; the evening suited her dark skin and coal black eyes, and her strong figure was rich and not ungraceful in a dress of ruby velvet. Should he kiss her? What would she say? He threwhis arm about her. “I am surprised. Certainly not!” “I don't see any harm.” Then, with a sensation of saying something foolish, he said: “You told me you kissed a married man.” “That was ages ago--I was very silly. I shouldn't think of doing sonow.” In the silence which followed Frank wondered why he had tried to kiss her. Decidedly he liked the other better.