almost cheerful spirit had suddenly descended upon the breakfast table.

"And now let me say the thing I have been aching to say for months," she
began in less burdened voice.

He lifted his brows. "Haven't things been discussed pretty fully
already?" he asked.

The doubtful, harassed expression clouded upon her face at his
words, and she paused. "No," she said resolutely, after an
instant's reflection; "it is my duty to discuss this, too. It is a
misunderstanding all round. You remember that I told you Mr. Gorringe
had given me some plants, which he got from some garden or other?"

"If you really wish to go on with the subject--yes I have a recollection
of that particular falsehood of his."

"He did it with the kindest and friendliest motives in the world!"
protested Alice. "He saw how down-in-the-mouth and moping I was here,
among these strangers--and I really was getting quite peaked and
run-down--and he said I stayed indoors too much and it would do me all
sorts of good to work in the garden, and he would send me some plants.
The next I knew, here they were, with a book about mixing soils and
planting, and so on. When I saw him next, and thanked him, I suppose I
showed some apprehension about his having laid out money on them, and
he, just to ease my mind, invented the story about his getting them for
nothing. When I found out the truth--I got it out of that boy, Harvey
Semple--he admitted it quite frankly--said he was wrong to deceive me."

"This was in the fine first fervor of his term of probation, I suppose,"