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 "Yvonne feels," he elucidated further, "just as I do, that I'm really more or less accountable for her behavior, and that it's up to me to do what I can."

"I see," said Mrs. Hamill slowly. "Quite right, too!" she added, nodding. "You should, under the circumstances. When are you going to start?"

"I've started already. Lectured her at breakfast and all the way over to Jersey, and on the way back I stopped at Brentano's and picked out a couple of tons of books for her to read. No flies on me as a pedagogue!"

"Evidently not. Well, and when do you expect to see her again? Why don't you bring her here some day soon so I can meet her? I like what I hear of her." Mrs. Hamill spoke never more truly.

"I'll do that," answered Jock. He rose, stretching, and observed haphazardly, as though it had just occurred to him, "She's coming to the Tavern tonight again, this time with the boy she's engaged to."

Mrs. Hamill sat up with such suddenness that an ash tray she had balanced in her lap slid to the floor. "Oh, so Cecily is engaged!"

A little pause followed this impulsive and illuminating exclamation. "Why, she's sorry!" thought Jock, struck. Belated cognizance of the things that had moved in his mother's mind came to him. "She wanted to think I might fall in love with Cecily—that must mean she doesn't like Yvonne—oh, hell, it can't!"

But he knew it could not mean anything else.

He said stiffly, "I believe so. Cecily won't acknowledge it in so many words, but she seems particularly anxious to have us meet this bird and see what we think of him. What if she is engaged, for heaven's sake? I'm not trying to marry the girl—I'm engaged myself, don't forget!"