Conscious of his lack of ceremony, Mr. Jeffreys began to apologize at once. "I hope you will pardon my taking the short cut, Miss Hill; but I promised Miss Turner that I would deliver this note into your hands before the ink had time to dry." "I should be much less inclined to forgive you, if you had taken the long way around," replied Miss Ri. "Come in, Mr. Jeffreys, and let us see what this weighty matter is." He followed her into the sitting-room, where Linda was watering some house-plants lately brought in. "Here, Verlinda, you entertain Mr. Jeffreys while I answer this note," said Miss Ri. "It's about a church meeting, and Parthy thinks I don't know, or haven't made up my mind to go, or something. I shall have to relieve her mind." Mr. Jeffreys drew near to Linda at the window. "I hope you slept without fear of robbers," he said. She looked up smiling. "Oh, yes. I felt very safe after your examination of bolts and bars." She went on with her task, nipping off a dead leaf here, straightening a bent twig there. "They don't look very well, yet," she said. "It takes plants some time to become used to a change of habitation." "Like some people," he returned. She gave him an understanding nod. "Yes, but just as surely they will thrive under proper treatment." Miss Ri left her desk and came toward them. "I'm not going to ask you to deliver this, Mr. Jeffreys, for I want to send Parthy a lemon pie that Phebe has just baked, and I'd never trust a man to carry a lemon pie. Just sit down and I'll be back in a moment." "Are you going to tell her?" asked Linda, when the door had closed after Miss Ri. "Maybe. It will depend. I won't force the information." "Get her to tell you about her trip to town; she is so funny about it." "Miss Hill, you are to tell me about your trip to town," began Mr. Jeffreys when Miss Ri returned. "I shall not do it," she declared. "What do you mean, Verlinda Talbot, by trying to get me to tell my secrets?" "Maybe if you do, Mr. Jeffreys will tell you one of his." "In that case, we must make a compact. Can you keep a secret, Mr. Jeffreys?" "I have kept my own, so far." "But another's is quite a different matter." "I will keep yours, if you will keep mine." "Then it is a bargain. Well, then, I have a fad for buying 'old horse.' You don't know what 'old horse' is? It's the stuff the express companies collect in the course of some months. If persons refuse to pay expressage, if the address is wrong, if it has been torn off, you see how it would be, they have a sale, an auction. I enjoy the fun of buying 'a pig in a poke.' Sometimes it turns out a nice fat pig and sometimes it doesn't." "And this time?"