Pirlaps seemed very much pleased, and looked down upon her more kindly
than ever. "You like Avrillia?" he said. "That's good. It isn't
everybody that appreciates Avrillia."

He stopped before a lilac-colored fog-bush and put his step down
before his easel. Sara did not dare remonstrate, but she cast an
agonized look first at the step and then at his lovely white trousers.

"Is--is that what is meant by step-relations?" was all she could say.

"Why, yes," said Pirlaps, sitting firmly down on the chocolate. "Are
you interested in relations?" he asked eagerly, after he had adjusted
his easel. "Because, if you are, we'll go to see mine, some day. I
have a lot."





Chapter III
Relations



Sara was determined, when she shut the ivory doors behind her the next
morning, to do two things, no matter what happened; first, she would
put her dimples in the dimple-holder immediately; and, second, she
would go right on to find Pirlaps, and not be beguiled into lingering
around the pool by the fascinating talk of the Plynck and her Echo.
For, ever since she left him, she had been thinking of the offer