"I say, you know!" I said disgustedly, as I screwed my monocle at him there, his big yellow mat sticking out of sight through the jolly vines. "Awfully raw thing to strike at a man and leave your guard open like that--I _could_ have put it over your heart, don't you know!" I heard a little sound behind me and there was she! "Oh!" I gasped as I slipped into my coat. And now I _was_ miserable, for I remembered how kind this chauffeur, Scoggins, had been to her. And for her to have seen me in this vulgar row! "Yes, I saw it all," she said, as I moved toward her, murmuring some jolly effort at apology. Her eyes were shining. "I saw it all, sir--and _heard_. And just when I had hunted you up with _these_!"--and then I saw that her arms were burgeoning with roses. "See what I've been doing for you, sir!" "For me?" By Jove, it was all I could say as I took them! "And you ran off!" She pouted adorably--naturally, too, dash it. I've seen them put it on when they looked like they had toothache. "How am I ever going to thank you about the pajamas?" By Jove, her big blue eyes looked me frankly in the face. There was never a quiver of embarrassment. "It's wonderful--and to find them _here_!" "I'd--I'd have got 'em to you sooner," I faltered, swallowing, "but they've been lost a day or two--thief stole them from my rooms, you know." "How on earth _did_ you ever get hold of them? I never expected to see those pajamas again. Oh, you must tell me all about how you managed it!"--and we moved away--"I just _wish_ father were here!" _I_ didn't! Dash it, it made me squirm to think of his return. As we left the pergola behind, I looked backward through its arch, and there was the chauffeur, standing in the shadows, looking after us. And long after, as we turned from the straight avenue leading through the pergola, I descried his figure, still looking after us, unchanged, immovable. It was rum! But I had other things to think of as we sat out in the loggia--chiefly of her, herself; withal, wondering gloomily what her father would say when he found I had disobeyed his injunction about not speaking to her. Presently the summons to luncheon came, and we went in. From up-stairs came sounds indicating great hilarity on Billings' part. In fact, we could hear him slapping his knee and screaming. The frump looked at me anxiously. "Why, I understood he was all right again," she said aside. I shook my head dubiously. I had seen in the past day or two how rapidly Billings' moods shifted. Twenty minutes since he had looked enraged. "Oh, this is too good--but keep it mum!" we heard. "Come on, Professor!" "Professor?" The frump looked at Frances, then at Wilkes inquiringly. "I didn't know, miss," he murmured contritely. "'S why I didn't mention it."