"You can’t tell what net she may become entangled in," he said, "and Symington cleared out in a very sudden manner, you know." He could not get that out of his mind. Mrs. Leighton harked back to the old formula. "Elma is only a child," she said, "with too much of a superb imagination. She will have a lot of fancies before she is done." Elma saw her letter posted, with only Mrs. Leighton and Miss Grace in the secret. She felt completely relieved and happy. Nothing had pleased her so much for a long time. "Why, Elma, your cheeks are getting pink at last," said Adelaide Maud. She had come in to spend the afternoon with Elma while the others went to the dressmaker for the all-important gowns. Adelaide Maud had said she would come if Elma were to be quite alone. And Elma meant to be quite alone until Cuthbert came down by an early train. Then, after Adelaide Maud was announced, she rather hoped that Cuthbert might appear. "Are you sure they are pink," she asked Adelaide Maud, "because I used to be so anxious that I might look pale." "You must have thought yourself very good looking lately then," said Adelaide Maud. "Elma," she asked suddenly, "why don’t you girls sometimes call me Helen? I think you might by this time." "I would rather call you Adelaide Maud," said Elma. "But I can’t be a Story Book for ever." "I shouldn’t want to call you Helen when you looked like Miss Dudgeon. Mrs. Dudgeon wouldn’t like it, would she?" Ridgetown traditions still hampered their friendship it seemed. Adelaide Maud’s head fell low. "Do you know, Elma, in five minutes, if I just had one chance, in five minutes I could get my mother to say that it didn’t matter whether you called me Helen or not. But I never get the chance." "I did one lovely and glorious thing yesterday," said Elma. "Couldn’t I do another to-day?" "I don’t know what you did yesterday, but you can’t do anything for me to-day," said Adelaide Maud stiffly. Cuthbert came strolling in. Adelaide Maud looked seriously annoyed. "You told me you would be quite alone," she said to Elma. "Oh, you don’t mind about Cuthbert, do you?" asked Elma anxiously. "Besides, Cuthbert didn’t know you were coming." "I did," said Cuthbert shortly. Adelaide Maud had risen a little, and at this she sat down in a very straight manner, with her head slightly raised. She and Elma were on a couch near a tea-table. Cuthbert took an easy chair opposite. Then Adelaide Maud began to laugh. She laughed with a ringing bright laugh that was very amusing to Elma, but Cuthbert remained quite unmoved. Adelaide Maud looked at him. "Oh, please laugh a little," she said humbly. Cuthbert did not take his eyes away from her. He simply looked and said nothing. "How are the invitations going on?" he asked Elma as though apparently proving that Adelaide Maud did not exist. Elma clasped her hands. "Beautifully. I’ve been allowed to ask all my ’particulars.’"