“Write your brother Lansing to tell Jeff to put it off on his account,” suggested Evelyn.

“That won’t do, unfortunately, for Lanse has been uncertain about going all the time.”

“I’ll try to think of something,” promised Evelyn.

She had a chance before the day was over.  Jeff appeared, late in the afternoon, and invited her to take a walk with him.

“I’ll tell you what I want,” he said, as they went along.  “Let’s go down by the old bridge at the pond, and if there’s nobody about I’d like to have you do me the favour of listening while I spout my class-day oration.  Would you mind?”

“I shall be delighted,” answered Evelyn, and this program was carried out accordingly.  Down behind the willows Jeff mounted a prostrate log and gave vent to a vigorous and sincere discourse.

“Splendid!” cried his audience, as he finished.  “If you do it half as well as that it will be a great success.”

“Glad you think so.”  Jeff descended from the log with a flushed brow and an air of relief.  “I’m not the fellow for class orator, I know, but I’m it, and I don’t want to disgrace the crowd.  Pretty down here, isn’t it?”

“Beautiful.  It makes me very blue to think of leaving it—­as if I oughtn’t to be simply thankful I could be here so long.  It was lovely of your sister and brother to insist on my staying when my brother Thorne had to go to Japan so suddenly.”

“You’re not going soon?” Jeff looked dismayed.

“Two weeks after your Commencement,” said Evelyn.  “My brother’s ship should be in port by the last of June, and I want to surprise him by being at home when he reaches there.  I shall leave here the minute he gets into San Francisco.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.  I’d forgotten there was any such thing as your going away.  You seem—­why, you seem one of us, you know!” declared Jeff, as if there could be no stronger bond of union.

“Oh, thank you—­it’s good of you to say so.  You’ve all been so kind I can’t half tell you how I appreciate it.  We’ll have to make the most of June, I think,” said Evelyn, smiling rather wistfully, and looking away across the little pond.

“I should say so.  We’ll have every sort of lark we can think of the minute Commencement’s—­Oh, I was going camping after that—­but I’ll put it off.  Just was arguing that way only this morning, but I saw no good reason for waiting, then.  Now, I do.”

“I’m sorry to have you put it off,” protested Evelyn, with art.  “Hadn’t you better go on with your plans, if they’re all made?  Of course I should be sorry, but—­”

“Oh, I’ll put it off!” said Jeff, decidedly, with the very human wish to do the thing he need not do.

So it was settled.  Commencement came rapidly on, bringing with it the round of festivals peculiar to that season.  Jeff insisted on the presence of his entire family at every event, and for a week, as Charlotte said, it seemed as if they all lived in flowered organdies and white gloves.