He turned to the children. "Say good-by to Joy now, infants--I'm going to take her away with me." "You do that a great deal of the time, it seems to me," observed Philip regretfully. "But of course, I suppose she really does belong to you." "Exactly," laughed John, lifting the little boy up to kiss him. "She does. Come, my property." They got into the car amicably, laughing over Philip. But John wasn't through with her. "Was it quite courteous, my dear," he asked gently, but with a certain firmness, "to leave Gail that way? It was only a chance that I was able to explain it. In a sense she was a guest in your house." Joy flamed up. "Was it quite courteous of Gail," she demanded passionately, "to come in and take my house away from me, and demand that I hand her over the housekeeping--no, not demand it, calmly take it?" John looked a little perplexed for the moment, which gave Joy time to calm down a little, and remind herself that men were like that. "Somehow one doesn't expect Gail to be considerate," he explained finally. "It--well, it isn't one of her qualities. I think I heard her say once that she had never found it necessary. But you--I expect so much more of you, Joy!" One would suppose that this might have been soothing. John seemed to consider it so. But it wasn't. "She's so charming that nobody expects anything else of her," Joy flashed back, "and I have to be good, because all people can like me for is my goodness--is that what you mean?" And she stood up, as the car slowed before the Hewitt house, and sprang out. She had seen Clarence Rutherford sunning himself expectantly on the steps. "There's the man who sent her over, if you approve of it all so highly," were her departing words to John. "I promise not to be inhospitable to him!" She waved her hand. "Mr. Rutherford!" she called. "Come on down and go off somewhere with me!" Clarence unfolded himself with more haste than usual, and obliged. "To the end of the world, Sorcerette, or any little place like that," he said sweetly. "I have no car, alas, but I can telephone for one." "No, don't," said Joy, whose one idea was to get away. "Just go into the house and bring me my cap and any wrap you can find." She did not dare look back to John. She felt she was being everything she oughtn't to, but she also felt that she had cause. "Here's your hat," said Clarence, coming out with it, and refraining from completing the quotation. "Where do you want to go? I have many beautiful plans to offer you, principally about your being leading lady in my comic opera. You are going to have to get an extension of parole from the dear ones at home." "Oh, do you really think I can act in it?" asked Joy happily as they went down the leafy road together. She gave a little frisk as she spoke.