Joy had scarcely time to answer, but she let her mother-in-law sweep her along, and install her in the motor between herself and John, who was holding Angela because Angela insisted. As they sped down the country lanes Joy sat very still, trying to forget that this happy time would ever stop. Giving up John was bad enough--maybe he would be friends with her afterwards if she was lucky--but giving up John's mother seemed almost too much to ask of any girl. "I'm _sure_ I'll never happen on a mother-in-law like this again!" thought Joy. "How's Gail, Mother?" she heard John ask quite calmly as they turned down another leafy lane. She flushed up, deep rose-red, as she listened for the answer. "Just back from the city, and more rambunctious than ever," said Mrs. Hewitt briskly. Joy clasped her hands over the wishing ring and looked off--anywhere--not to look at John or his mother. And in her anxiety she heard a husky whisper from the seat behind her, where Viola was restraining Philip and Foxy from jumping out into the landscape. "Don't you fear, honey. Mighty hard work getting a man away from a red-haired girl!" Where her courage came from Joy did not know. But as she heard Viola she sat up straight. And a light came into her eyes--the light of battle. CHAPTER SIX ROSE GARDENS AND MEN "You can come in by the front door, if you'd rather be grand," offered Phyllis, "but the only door we can coax the car anywhere near is the side one. And we had to cut that through." They halted at a contented-looking old Colonial house set far back from the country road. The grounds were large, and one whole side of them was shut off from the road by a high Sleeping Beauty sort of hedge that hid everything except one inquisitive red rose, sticking its head out between masses of box. The other side of the house was surrounded by a green lawn set with tall old trees. A tennis-court showed at the back, and closer by a red-banded croquet-mallet lay beneath a tree, with a red ball nestling to it. The whole place looked sunny and leisurely and happy and spacious and welcoming. As the motor, after teetering itself cautiously down a side path that had never in the world been made for motors, stopped, the side door Phyllis had referred to opened, and a beautiful white wolfhound sprang out and into the car, where he was welcomed tumultuously by the children, and greeted without undue enthusiasm by Foxy, whose disposition had not yet recovered from the baggage car. Every one piled out, and Philip and the dogs raced back into the house and to the greetings of a couple of half-visible colored servants. Phyllis, alighting more leisurely, turned, with the graciousness that was peculiarly hers, and smiled from the doorway at Joy. "Welcome, my dear," she said. "And I hope you'll never go away from our village for good again!"