She had been embarrassed when she first saw him, the only occupant of the room (for small children are most mistakenly supposed not to count); but, curiously enough, when she saw that he was a little embarrassed, too, her own courage rose, and she came over quite at her ease, sinking down at the other side of the convenient Philip. "You asked me to remind you of something you wanted to say to me, Philip," she said. Philip looked up from his book amiably. "Yes, there was," he said encouragingly, if somewhat vaguely. "Thank you for aminding me. I just wanted to find out--if you're sure you don't mind telling me--why you never make a fuss over John. You know, people that marry each other do. I saw two once--ever so long ago, but I know they did. Lots." Joy blushed, but when you've come to Arcady for only a month, and it really doesn't matter afterwards, you're very irresponsible. "Why, you see, Philip, the girl isn't supposed to start making the fusses. You'd better ask John about it--some other time--" she added hastily. But as she spoke she had to hold her lips hard to keep them straight, and looked out of the corner of one black-lashed eye at John, sitting at his ease on Philip's other side. She had never found him at a loss, and she desired, most unfairly, to see what he would do with this impertinence. "Why don't you, John?" inquired Philip inevitably. Joy had been so sure John would get out of it with his usual immovable poise that her own remarks hadn't occurred to her in the light of provocation. But Dr. Hewitt evidently looked at it that way, because what he said was quite terrifyingly simple: "If you'll move a little, Philip." Philip courteously shoved himself back on the floor from between them, and for the second time in her life Joy found herself being kissed by a man. "I didn't mean that you really _had_ to start things right away," she heard Philip, dimly, explaining in a tone of courteous apology, "only when you wanted to, you know." "It's all right, old fellow," John assured him kindly. "I didn't mind." It was, indeed, quite a brotherly kiss, but even at that--and in the resigned way John had explained it there was little room for a girl's being excited--Joy felt a little dazed. But she didn't intend to let John see it. She had rented him for the month, so to speak, and, though it hadn't specially occurred to her, probably this sort of thing was all in the month's work... It was as near as the wishing ring could bring her to a real lover... She raised her surprising eyes to him demurely. "Thank you," she said with all apparent gratitude. "It was sweet of you to do that for Philip." There was no answer possible to that, as far as she knew. "You needn't say anything," she went on placidly, but with that spark of excited mischief still in her eyes. "Do you know, Dr. Hewitt, I'm getting to be much less afraid of you. You certainly have the _kindest_ heart----"