How many years had passed since that evening in June when she had stood in that spot and looked down on the crowd of young men and women? She dared not count, but there was the grandson of that Robert Bucknor, standing in the great hall and trying hard to pretend to be interested in what a beautiful girl was saying to him. The beautiful girl was the one who had made the remark about a fancy dress ball. The grandson of Robert Bucknor had not heard her say it nor had he heard his sister's cruel answer, as he had come into the hall the moment afterward. Now he was plainly bored, but trying to conceal it. The girl was chattering like a magpie. Suddenly Jeff looked up and saw Miss Ann. "Oh, Cousin Ann!" he cried, bounding up the steps, two at a time, quite as his grandfather had done on that day so many, many years ago, "how lovely you look! I'd like to dance a minuet with you." Then he gave her his arm and escorted her down the stairs. Supper was announced immediately and Jeff marched in with his aged cousin, much to the chagrin of Mildred, who had planned otherwise for her good-looking brother. "Horrid old thing!" she said to Tom Harbison, who was dancing attendance on her. "Grabbing Jeff that way! How does she expect the men to go around if she takes one of the beaux?" "And did you see her with flowers in her hair?" asked Nan in a stage whisper. "Verbenas!" and then a fat boy who sang tenor and passed as something of a wag sang: "Sweet Evelina, Last time I seen her Stole a verbena Out of her hair." At this all the young folks laughed. Miss Ann heard Nan's stage whisper, and felt Mildred's glance of disapproval and was quite conscious that the fat boy's song was meant to make game of her, but nothing mattered much except that Robert Bucknor's grandson, who looked so like him, had run up the steps to meet her and had told her she looked lovely and was now holding her hand tightly clasped against his warm young heart. She saw old Billy peeping from the pantry door as they entered the dining-room and she caught his glance of pride and gratification when she appeared with the young master. "What I tell you?" he muttered. "Ain't my Miss Ann the pick er the bunch?" CHAPTER IX The Veterans' Big Secret "Mumsy dear," said Judith, "I'm going over to Buck Hill this morning and sell all kinds of things to my cousins and their guests." "Judith, you are not! How can you go near those people when they treat you like the dust under their feet?"