“Is she rich or poor?”

Van Landing hesitated.  “She is rich.  She has a wonderful imagination and can see all sorts of things that others don’t see, and her friends are—­”

“Kings and queens, and fairies and imps, and ghosts and devils.  I know.  I’ve had friends like that.  Does she like pink or blue?”

“I think she likes—­blue.”  Again Van Landing hesitated.  Silks and satins might be Carmencita’s choice.  Silks and satins would not do.  “I don’t mean she has money, and I believe she’d rather have practical things.”

“No, she wouldn’t!  Girls hate practical things.”  The long, loose, shabby coat was touched lightly.  “This is practical.  Couldn’t she have one pair of shiny slippers, just one, with buckles on them?  Maybe she’s as Cinderellary as I am.  I’d rather stick my foot out with a diamond-buckle slipper on it than eat.  I do when my princess friends call, and they always say:  ’Oh, Carmencita, what a charming foot you have!’ And that’s it. That!” And Carmencita’s foot with it’s coarse and half-worn shoe was held out at full length.  “But we’ve got to hurry, or we won’t be at the Green Tea-pot by two o’clock.  Come on.”

With amazing discrimination Carmencita made her purchases, and only once or twice did she overstep the limitations of practicality and insist upon a present that could be of little use to its recipient.  For the giving of joy the selection of a pair of shining slippers, a blue satin sash, and a string of amber beads were eminently suitable, however, and, watching, Van Landing saw her eyes gleam over the precious possessions she was supposedly buying for some one else, a child of her own age, and he made no objection to the selections made.

“Even if she don’t wear them she will have them.”  And Carmencita drew a long, deep sigh of satisfaction.  “It’s so nice to know you have got something you can peep at every now and then.  It’s like eating when you’re hungry.  Oh, I do hope she’ll like them!  Is it two, Mr. Van?”

It was ten minutes to two, and, putting Carmencita into the bundle-packed cab, Van Landing ordered the latter to the Green Tea-pot, then, getting in, leaned back, took off his hat, and wiped his forehead.  Tension seemed suddenly to relax and his heart for a moment beat thickly; then with a jerk he sat upright.  Carmencita was again absorbed in watching the crowds upon the streets, and, when the cab stopped, jumped as if awakened from a dream.

“Are we here already?  Oh, my goodness!  There she is!”

Miss Barbour was going in the doorway, and as Van Landing saw the straight, slender figure, caught the turn of the head, held in the way that was hers alone, the years that were gone slipped out of memory and she was his again.  His—­With a swift movement he was out of the cab and on the street and about to follow her when Carmencita touched him on the arm.

“Let me go first.  She doesn’t know you’re coming.  We’ll get a table near the door.”