I heard him talk about whist, one evening at the rectory; he said something about a person,--a Pole, I believe,--and his rules in regard to 'signaling.' I asked him if he played," Miss Deborah continued, her hands showing a little angry nervousness; "and he said, 'Oh, yes, I learned to play one winter in Florida!' Learned to play in a winter, indeed! To achieve whist"-- Miss Deborah held her head very straight--"to achieve whist is the work of a lifetime! I've no patience with a young person who says a thing like that." Miss Ruth was silenced for a moment; she had no excuse to offer.
"Adele Dale says the Forsythes are coming back in April," she said, at last.
"Yes, I know it," answered Miss Deborah.

"I suppose it will all be arranged then.

I asked Adele if Lois was engaged to him;--she said, 'Not formally.' But I've no doubt there's an understanding." Miss Deborah was so sure of this that she had even mentioned it casually to Gifford, of course under the same seal of confidence with which it had been told her.
It was quite true that Dick and his mother were to return to Ashurst.
After storming out of the rectory library the night of the Misses Woodhouse's dinner party, Dick had had a period of hatred of everything connected with Ashurst; but that did not last more than a month, and was followed by an imploring letter to Lois.

Her answer brought the anger back again, and then its reaction of love; this see-saw was kept up, until his last letter had announced that he and his mother were coming to take the house they had had before, and spend the summer.
"We will come early," he wrote.

"I cannot stay away.