THE SOD ON THE PANE
Blanche laughed, and laughed again. "No, you goose! Don't you see?" Apparently he did not, and she unbent from her heights of wisdom, and enlightened him. "We have understood it so well from the very first that this was to be for ever and ever! We forgot that she might not know it."
He was blank.
"How stupid you are!" she said affectionately. "Mother has thought all along that you were a sad deceiver."
"Good Lord!" He took a rapid glance at the past. "Do you mean to tell me she couldn't see that I was the dust under your feet?"
"You didn't act like it." Their faces were near together.
"I felt like it so hard, I never thought of anything else. The poor lady!" He was contrite enough, even a little shocked, but couldn't help feeling amused. Mrs. Rader's idea of the situation struck him as a little theatric. "Then you must tell her now, immediately."
Presented with the practical proposition, Blanche began to show signs of wishing to evade it. "But she is asleep."
"Well, then, as soon as she wakes."
"Oh, dear, I hate to. She will say we ought to
265