“Marian is going to marry somebody, some day, and that’s on my mind a great deal.  You have got to give more thought to family matters.  It’s right for Marian to marry, and I think a girl of her tastes should settle early, but we must guard her from mistakes.  I’ve had that on my conscience several years.”

“Of course, Hallie; and I’ve not been unmindful of it.”

“And if Aunt Sally is interested in young Harwood and you think well of him yourself—­but of course I don’t favor him for Marian.  I should like Marian to marry into a family of some standing.”

“Well, we’ll see to it that she does; we want our daughter to be happy—­we must do the best we can for our children,” he concluded largely.

She promised to appear at the dinner table, and he went down with some idea of seeing Mrs. Owen at once, to assure her of his honorable intentions toward her in the “Courier” matter; he wanted to relieve his own fears as well as his wife’s as to the mischief that had been wrought by Thatcher’s suit.

In the hall below he met Sylvia, just back from her first day at the normal school.  The maid had admitted her, and she was slipping her parasol into the rack as he came downstairs.  She heard his step and turned toward him, a slender, dark young woman in black.  In the dim hall she did not at once recognize him, and he spoke first.

“Good-afternoon, Miss Garrison!  I am Mr. Bassett; I believe I introduced myself to you at Waupegan—­and that seems a long time ago.”

“I remember very well, Mr. Bassett,” Sylvia replied, and they shook hands.  “You found me in my dream corner by the lake and walked to Mrs. Owen’s with me.  I remember our meeting perfectly.”

He stood with his hand on the newel regarding her intently.  She was entirely at ease, a young woman without awkwardness or embarrassment.  She had disposed of their previous meeting lightly, as though such fortuitous incidents had not been lacking in her life.  Her mourning hat cast a shadow upon her face, but he had been conscious of the friendliness of her smile.  Her dark eyes had inspected him swiftly; he was vaguely aware of a feeling that he wanted to impress her favorably.

“The maid said Mrs. Owen and Marian are still out.  I hope Mrs. Bassett is better.  I wonder if I can do anything for her.”

“No, thank you; she’s quite comfortable and will be down for dinner.”

“I’m glad to hear that; suppose we find seats here.”

She walked before him into the parlor and threw back the curtains the better to admit the air.  He watched her attentively, noting the ease and grace of her movements, and took the chair she indicated.

“It’s very nice to see Mrs. Bassett and Marian again; they were so good to me that summer at Waupegan; I have carried the pleasantest memories of that visit ever since.  It seems a long time ago and it is nearly four years, isn’t it.”

“Four this summer, I think.  I remember, because I had been to Colorado, and that whole year was pretty full for me.  But all these years have been busy ones for you, too, I hear.  Your grandfather’s death must have been a great shock to you.  I knew him only by reputation, but it was a reputation to be proud of.”