"How singularly unfortunate I am to-day!" thought Braybrooke, as he
bowed to Miss Cronin in a rather confused manner and went to do as he
was told.

He ordered tea, then sat down anxiously to wait for Miss Van Tuyn. From
his corner he watched her colloquy with the two school friends from
Philadelphia, and it seemed to him that something very important was
being told. For Fanny Cronin looked almost animated, and her manner
approached the emphatic as she spoke to the standing girl. Mrs. Hodson
seemed to take very little part in the conversation, but sat looking
very determined and almost imperious as she listened. And presently
Braybrooke saw her extremely observant dark eyes--small, protuberant
and round as buttons--turn swiftly, with even, he thought, a darting
movement, in his direction.

"I shall be driven, really driven, to make the matter quite clear," he
thought, almost with desperation. "Otherwise--"

But at this moment Miss Van Tuyn came away to him, and their tea was
brought by a waiter.

He thought she cast a rather satirical look at him as she sat down, but
she only said;

"Dear old things! They are very happy together. Mrs. Clem is
extraordinarily proud of having 'got Fanny out,' as she calls it. A boy
who had successfully drawn a badger couldn't be more triumphant. Now
let's forget them!"