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 Russel; "she said to me—of course I never take the things those girls say seriously—'I wouldn't go back to Mrs. Willoughby not for anything you might give me, I wouldn't.' I said, 'But she spoke so well of you, Annie,' and she just wagged her head at me, sort of. She is a funny girl! Of course, I didn't ought to tell you, but it made me laugh at the time, it did really."

"I came down on her rather hard," admitted Aunt Willoughby swiftly. "I was so particular, you see, and she had some dirty ways. Now I shouldn't wonder—when was it you lost those collar-studs, Mr. Rossiter?"

"I don't exactly remember," said Rossiter, basely. He felt Mrs. Russel's approval warm upon him, but was sorry to have failed Aunt Willoughby, who, disconcerted, relapsed into irrelevancy.

Miss Emily harked back.

"Oh, Hilary, you are awful—why shouldn't he?"

"Well, I didn't say he shouldn't, I simply said it was one. They'll be jealous of you at the office, won't they, Mr. Rossiter?"