“The thing to do,” said her father, gazing fixedly at her, “is to keep you in your room until you’re twenty!”

“Oh, Pa-pah!”

Mr. Carr smote his florid brow.

“You’ll stay in for a week, anyway!” he thundered mellifluously.  “No motoring party for you!  That’s your punishment.  You’ll be safe for today, anyhow; and by evening William Destyn will be back from Boston and I’ll consult him as to the safest way to keep you out of the path of this whippersnapper you have managed to wake up—­evoke—­stir out of space—­ wherever he may be—­whoever he may be—­whatever he chances to call himself——­”

“George,” she murmured involuntarily.

“What!!”

She looked at her father, abashed, confused.

“How absurd of me,” she said.  “I don’t know why I should have thought of that name, George; or why I should have said it out loud—­that way—­I really don’t——­”

“Who do you know named George?”

“N-nobody in particular that I can think of——­”

“Sybilla!  Be honest!”

“Really, I don’t; I am always honest.”

He knew she was truthful, always; but he said: 

“Then why the devil did you look—­er—­so, so moonily at me and call me George?”

“I can’t imagine—­I can’t understand——­”

“Well, I can!  You don’t realize it, but that cub’s name must be George!  I’ll look out for the Georges.  I’m glad I’ve been warned.  I’ll see that no two-legged object named George enters this house!  You’ll never go anywhere where there’s anybody named George if I can prevent it.”

“I—­I don’t want to,” she returned, almost ready to cry.  “You are very cruel to me——­”

“I wish to be.  I desire to be a monster!” he retorted fiercely.  “You’re an exceedingly bad, ungrateful, undutiful, disobedient and foolish child.  Your sisters and I are going to motor to Westchester and lunch there with your sister and your latest brother-in-law.  And if they ask why you didn’t come I’ll tell them that it’s because you’re undutiful, and that you are not to stir outdoors for a week, or see anybody who comes into this house!”

“I—­I suppose I d-deserve it,” she acquiesced tearfully.  “I’m quite ready to be disciplined, and quite willing not to see anybody named George—­ ever!  Besides, you have scared me d-dreadfully!  I—­I don’t want to go out of the house.”

And when her father had retired with a bounce she remained alone in the gymnasium, eyes downcast, lips quivering.  Later still, sitting in precisely the same position, she heard the soft whir of the touring car outside; then the click of the closing door.

“There they go,” she said to herself, “and they’ll have such a jolly time, and all those very agreeable Westchester young men will be there—­ particularly Mr. Montmorency....  I did like him awfully; besides, his name is Julian, so it is p-perfectly safe to like him—­and I did want to see how Sacharissa looks after her bridal trip.”