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 new chaise! Oh, the poppetty poppet! Would he come to his Phœbe, then!"

"For goodness sake, take him, Phœbe," said Fawnie. "I'm tired out. I've had such a busy day. Everybody wantin' to shake hands with me an' see the baby. Well, Durek, did you think I was los'?"

She had crossed the lawn, and stood before them with an air of mingled fear and audacity, like a naughty child. Derek, his chin grasped in his hand, stared down at her.

"How did you dare," he said, "to go to that sale and flaunt yourself before every one in those ridiculous clothes? How do you suppose Ted felt when he saw you? What kept you so late?"

"He made me pretty mad," retorted Fawnie, "not lettin' on he knew me. Folks said to me afterwards, 'You and your husban' didn't seem to see each other, did you, Mrs. Vale?' And I says: 'That feller ain't my husban'. My husban's a handsome man with curly light hair like baby's. That's jus' his poor brother who's out of a job, an' we're keepin' him for a while. She showed her pearl-like little teeth in a malicious grin.

"Oh, you little devil," said Derek, and burst out laughing. But Edmund kept a sulky silence. Fawnie came up the steps and perched herself on the railing.

"Now I tell you what I been doin'," she said, arranging the streamers of her hat over one shoulder. "First Snailem an' me went to Brancepeth. Snailem's an old fool. I had to go an' bring him out of the Duke of York myself, or he'd have got full. I went to the very best store an' I bought a lovely white dress for myself—an' a hat—an' shoes—an' earrings an' new clothes for Baby—all sensible like you said. An' I had ten dollars left. Then, when we was drivin' home, we passed the sale, an' Snailem says, 'What's the hurry? Let's go in!' So we went in; an' after