“Then you went bravely back to face the music!”

“Oh, I wasn’t afraid of him,—­for myself.  He’s not at all a ruffian sort,—­and he never would have hurt the baby.  Only,—­he was bound to get her!”

“Well, he didn’t succeed,—­thanks to you, and I don’t think he’ll ever try it again.”

“Oh, I’m sure he won’t!  He’s afraid of Bill, all right!  Any one would be who had seen the gleam in Cousin William’s eyes when he fired Mr. Merritt!”

Azalea laughed a little at the recollection,—­then she sighed.

“Why the sigh?” asked Van Reypen, looking at the expressive face of the girl, as her smile faded and her sensitive mouth drooped at the corners.

“Oh,—­nothing—­and everything!  Don’t ask questions!” She shook her shoulders as if flinging off a troublesome thought.  “I want to forget the whole subject,—­let’s talk of other things.”

“All right,—­let’s.  Let’s talk of my unworthy self, for instance.”

“Why do you say your ‘unworthy self’?  Because you so look on yourself? or for the sake of being contradicted? or just for nonsense?”

The brown eyes smiled into his, and Azalea looked very roguish and saucy as she demanded an answer.

“Habit, I daresay.  It’s considered the thing for one to look upon himself as unworthy.  Of course, I’m not all to the bad!”

“No, I suppose not.  I’ve noticed saving graces now and then.”

“You have!  What, for instance?  You see, I love to talk about myself!”

“Well, for one thing, you’ve been very kind to me.  I was in a sorry position to-day, and you and Cousin William backed me up so beautifully, that I pulled through.  If you hadn’t I’d have collapsed and given up the game, in sheer fright.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes; Patty was pretty hostile at first,—­though she came round all right, later.  Elise was,—­oh, well, you know Elise’s attitude toward me.”

“Don’t mind her,—­she’s always got a chip on her shoulder!”

“Betty was reserving decision, too; and but for the strong support of you and Cousin William,—­yes, and Ray Gale,—­I shouldn’t have come off so well.  But I deserved any fate.  I have been bad,—­and though I am sorry,—­that doesn’t wipe it all out.”

“It does, as far as I’m concerned.  And I’m all that matters—­at least,—­I wish I might be all that matters.”

“My gracious!  There are lots who matter more than you!  Patty and Bill, and Fleurette and—­”

“Stop there!  That’s all!  I’ll concede those,—­but no others.  Don’t you dare say that Gale matters more than I do!”

“Ray Gale?  Oh, I don’t know.  And what do you mean by ’matters’?”

“Counts.  Makes a difference.  Affects you.  Means something to you.”

“Oh, hold on!  I’m floundering beyond my depth!  Help! help!”

Azalea put her hands over her ears and shook her head, laughing at Van Reypen’s earnest face as he racked his brain for further explanatory phrases.