"That's exactly what I'm going to do. I've drawn up a list of some of the things she must have; I've ordered the landau, and I'm going to drive the two girls over to Ringtown as soon as I have my hat on. Here are the girls." As she spoke, the two girls appeared at the open French window. She spoke to her daughter. "Good morning, Frances; you see your fairy godmother has sent you a present--the visitor you so much wanted." "Isn't it lovely? I've just been telling her that I'd sooner see her than that father should buy a motor car--and you know what that means. But I don't understand--she says she's brought no luggage." "That's all right; I'm going to drive the pair of you over to Ringtown, and there I'm going to buy Dorothy what she wants. The other day I saw some pretty model gowns at Wingham's; if only one of them fits her it might do for this afternoon. What do you say, Dorothy?" The girl, who had been standing by the window, came a little farther into the room; she spoke with painful hesitation. "Mrs Vernon, I--I have no money." "My dear child, I have some money of yours." "Of mine?--money of mine?" The girl looked as if she did not understand, then flushed--as if with sudden comprehension. "Did he--give it you?" "By 'he' do you mean the Earl of Strathmoira?" Mrs Vernon smiled; but the girl looked as if she understood less than ever. "The Earl of Strathmoira?--no; I mean Mr Frazer." Miss Vernon broke in: "Mother, what Mr Frazer does she mean? She says she came with Mr Eric Frazer. Who is Eric Frazer?" "Mr Frazer is Dorothy's quaint way of speaking of the Earl of Strathmoira." Miss Vernon stared at her mother, then at her friend; a look of puzzlement was on her pretty face. "Dorothy, do you know Strathmoira?" Dorothy's look of bewilderment more than matched her own. "Strathmoira?--no; is it a place or a thing?" "Dorothy, are you joking?" "Joking?--Frances!--what makes you think I'm joking?--I haven't the faintest notion what you mean." Miss Vernon turned to her mother. "Mother, what is this mystery?--because it seems to me that there is a mystery somewhere. I hope that you and Dorothy understand each other better than I do either of you." "My dear Frances, I'm bound to say that I don't understand; especially if, as she says, she isn't joking. Dorothy, do you seriously wish to tell us that you don't know that the gentleman who brought you to this house last night was the Earl of Strathmoira?" The girl's eyes opened wider and wider; no one who saw the look almost of fear which came on her face could think that she was jesting. "He--he told me that his name was Frazer--Eric Frazer."