So secretly did she do this that no one but Cameron suspected it.  The perfectly serene atmosphere that surrounded him and Nancy permitted him to understand the state of affairs.

When a girl uses a man as a buffer between her and others he does not confuse things.

For a short time Cameron debated as to which particular man Nancy wanted him to save her for while he was preserving her from the mass.  It did not take him long to decide.  He grinned at the truth when it struck him.  He was surprised, as men usually are, at a woman’s choice of males.  Cameron liked Raymond; thought him a good sort, but herd-bound.

“But Nancy’s got the brand mark, too,” he reflected.  “They’re both headed in the same direction, only Raymond doesn’t know it—­a woman always finds things out first, and it’s up to me, I guess, to lasso Raymond for her.”

So Cameron took up the “big brother” burden and steered the unsuspecting Raymond to his fate.

Cameron did this in a masterly way.  He blinded everyone except Nancy.

Doris sighed with content, and Martin lifted his eyes in praise and gratitude.  Mrs. Tweksbury, like a war-horse smelling powder, saw danger to her plans and quickened Raymond to what was going on.

At first Raymond was relieved—­he wished Cameron good luck.  Having done that, he began to wonder if he really did?

There was something unutterably sweet about Nancy:  she was so purely the kind of woman that made life a success.  Why should he play straight into Cameron’s hand?  If Nancy really preferred Cameron, why, then—­but did she?

This was interesting.  He took to watching; presently he concluded that Cameron was a conceited ass.

After a short time Raymond began to feel the pressure of Nancy’s little body in his arms—­when their dance was over.  He began to resent other arms about her.  Her eyes were lovely—­so blue and sympathetic.  She never set a man guessing.  Raymond had had enough of guessing!

About that time Mrs. Tweksbury added an urge to her heart’s desire that she little suspected.

“Ken,” she remarked one morning, “I dropped into the Brier Tea Room yesterday.”  It was the brier that signified the meaning of the place to the old lady.

“Do you remember?”

Raymond nodded.  Did he not remember!

“The place is quite ordinary now—­but the food is still superior.  Miss Gordon has come to her senses.”

“Has she?” Raymond asked, lamely.

“Yes.  And that girl—­do you remember her, Ken?”

Raymond nodded again.

“Just as one might expect,” Mrs. Tweksbury rattled on, keeping to her one-tracked idea of things, “the minx ran off with a man, never considering Miss Gordon at all.”

“I doubt if Miss Gordon could see any one’s side but her own,” ventured Raymond.

“Ken, that’s unjust.  The girl was a little fraud, and I think Miss Gordon is heartily ashamed of herself for having resorted to such cheap methods to get trade.  She has young Scotch girls helping her now.  No more tricks, says Miss Gordon.”