Even as he said it he could have laughed aloud at the thought of these straitlaced principles being applicable to the young person who sat at the table with himself and Ted. She a teacher? Never! He had known no women teachers since his first governess had been exchanged for a tutor, the sturdy youngster having rebelled, at an extraordinarily early age, against petticoat government. His acquaintance included but one woman of that profession--and she was a college president. He and she had not got on well together, either, during the brief period in which they had been thrown together--on an ocean voyage. But he had seen plenty of teachers, crossing the Atlantic in large parties, surveying cathedrals, taking coach drives, inspecting art galleries--all with that conscientious air of making the most of it. Miss Roberta Gray one of that serious company? It was incredible! "Dear me," laughed Roberta, "what a keen observer you are! I am almost afraid to admit that I have no conscientiously thought-out plan--but one. I am going to put myself in Ted's hands and let him personally conduct my afternoon." Blue eyes met blue eyes at that and flashed happy fire. Lucky Ted! "Oh, jolly!" exclaimed that delighted youth. "Will you play basket-ball in the attic?" "Of course I will. Just the thing for a rainy day." "Bowls?" "Yes, indeed." "Take a cross-country tramp?" His eyes were sparkling. Roberta glanced out of the window. The rain was dashing hard against the pane. "If you won't go through the West Wood marshes," she stipulated. "Sure I won't. They'd be pretty wet even for me on a day like this. Is there anything you'd specially like to do yourself?" he bethought himself at this stage to inquire. Roberta shrugged her shoulders. "Of course it seems tame to propose settling down by the living-room fire and popping corn, after we get back and have got into our dry clothes," said she, "but--" Ted grinned. "That's the stuff," he acknowledged. "I knew you'd think of the right thing to end up the lark with." He looked across at Richard with a proud and happy face. "Didn't I tell you she was a peach of a sister?" he challenged his guest. Richard nodded. "You certainly did," he said. "And I see no occasion to question the statement."