"You wouldn't marry a man like that, now would you? Well? You want to say something disagreeable, don't you! You have had it on your conscience for weeks. I could see it in your eye the other afternoon when you were with Mrs. Freddie Stewart--that nice little cat. Come, spit it out, as the boys say." "Yes, I have had something on my mind." "You don't like me now that I have grown up?" "I thought we should be so much better friends," Helen admitted frankly. "I am not the nice little girl you used to know when the doctor entertained us and Pete with scientific conversation mixed with social philosophy--that's what troubles you?" "Why--why are you so different?" "You mean, why do I smoke? drink champagne? and let men kiss me?" She laughed at the look of consternation on Helen's face. "That's what you mean, isn't it? My sporting around generally, and drinking too much wine at that dinner last fall, and supplying these veranda tabbies with so much food for thought? Why can't I be the nice, sweet young woman you were before you were married? A comfort to Mrs. Phillips and an ornament to Forest Manor!" "You needn't be all that, and yet strike a pleasanter note," the older woman laughed back. "My dear gray mouse, I'm lots worse than that. Do you know where I was the other night when mamma was in such a temper because I hadn't come home, and telephoned all around to the neighbors?" "At the Bascoms'?" "Of course, all sweetly tucked up in bed. Not a bit of it! A lot of us had dinner and went to see a show--that was all on the square. But afterward Teddy Stearns and I did the Clark Street levee, at one in the morning, and quite by ourselves. We saw heaps and heaps--it was very informing--I could tell you such stories! And it went all right until Teddy, like a little fool, got into trouble at one of the places. Some one said something to me not quite refined, and Ted was just enough elated to be on his dignity. If we hadn't had an awful piece of luck, there would have been a little paragraph in the papers the next morning. Wouldn't that have made a noise?" "You little fool!" groaned Helen. "Oh! I don't know," Venetia continued imperturbably. "Let me tell you about it. Just as I had hold of Ted and was trying to calm him down, somebody hit him, and there was a general scrap. Ted isn't so much of a fool when he is all sober. Just then a man grabbed me, and I found myself on the street. It was-- Well, no matter just now who it was. Then the man went back for Ted, and after a time he got him, rather the worse for his experience. We had to send him to a hotel, and then my rescuer saw me home to the Bascoms'. My, what a talking he put up to me on the way to the North Side!" She waited to see what effect she had produced, but as Helen said nothing she continued with a laugh:--