Nancy explained.  In fact, after a few leading questions, she disclosed the entire history of the household; who they were, how long they expected to stay, and how they happened to be spending the summer in Japan.

“Is it possible that you are the Motor Maids who have ridden so many thousands of miles in a red car?” asked the stranger.

Nancy opened her eyes.

“Yes,” she answered.  “But we never dreamed we were so famous as that.”

“Ah, you will find that Tokyo is not so far removed from the world,” answered the woman, smiling gravely.  “And Mr. Campbell is building a railroad, you say?”

“No, I didn’t say so,” replied Nancy, a little surprised.  “He’s not building anything that I know of.  He is being consulted, or something.”

But the stranger did not seem to have heard her.

“I must be going,” she said absently.  “You are an adorably pretty child.  It’s been a pleasure to see you.  I only wandered in here because I was unhappy and wanted to be alone, but you have cheered me up.  Run along, now, and don’t walk in Japanese gardens at dusk unattended too often.”  Her glance fell on the tea rose.  “And remember that the Japanese do not understand the meaning of the word ‘flirtation.’  Good-by, ma cherie, belle et charmante.  You won’t tell your Mr. Campbell that I trespassed on his garden, will you?  Promise?”

“I promise,” answered Nancy, quite bewildered and fascinated.

Then the mysterious lady disappeared down a dripping path and Nancy was left standing alone in the rain.

“I am sorry I promised,” was her first thought.  “It would have been such fun to tell Billie.”  But her second thought was:  “Billie would have asked me why I had gone walking at dusk in the rain, and what a teasing I should have got.”

It was late and she hurried back to dress for dinner.  No one had missed her because Billie had been helping Miss Campbell into her best evening frock, and the others were all engaged in their own toilets.

That evening at half past seven a very jolly party gathered around the dinner table, which was a miracle of beauty with its decorations of apple blossoms.  Besides Nicholas Grimm and Yoritomo Ito, there were two Englishmen, Reginald Carlton, a young man who was taking a trip around the world by way of finishing his education, and Mr. Buxton, an older man who lived in Tokyo.  All the men wore evening clothes, although Mr. Campbell had sighed when Billie made him appear in his.  He was a man of camps and open air and seldom appeared in society.  Nancy watched his rugged, handsome face admiringly.

“What a splendid looking man he is,” she was thinking, when Yoritomo at her right said in a low voice: 

“You did go to the bridge.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Because I saw the rose.  It was fastened on your rain coat, which you left on a hook in the passage with your wet umbrella.”