now, and don't walk in Japanese gardens at dusk unattended too often."
Her glance fell on the tea rose. "And remember that the Japanese do not
understand the meaning of the word 'flirtation.' Good-by, _ma cherie,
belle et charmante_. You won't tell your Mr. Campbell that I trespassed
on his garden, will you? Promise?"

"I promise," answered Nancy, quite bewildered and fascinated.

Then the mysterious lady disappeared down a dripping path and Nancy was
left standing alone in the rain.

"I am sorry I promised," was her first thought. "It would have been such
fun to tell Billie." But her second thought was: "Billie would have
asked me why I had gone walking at dusk in the rain, and what a teasing I
should have got."

It was late and she hurried back to dress for dinner. No one had missed
her because Billie had been helping Miss Campbell into her best evening
frock, and the others were all engaged in their own toilets.

That evening at half past seven a very jolly party gathered around the
dinner table, which was a miracle of beauty with its decorations of apple
blossoms. Besides Nicholas Grimm and Yoritomo Ito, there were two
Englishmen, Reginald Carlton, a young man who was taking a trip around
the world by way of finishing his education, and Mr. Buxton, an older man
who lived in Tokyo. All the men wore evening clothes, although Mr.
Campbell had sighed when Billie made him appear in his. He was a man of
camps and open air and seldom appeared in society. Nancy watched his
rugged, handsome face admiringly.