MAY 85 



burden which she is yet too coy or too unwilling to 

 share with another. 



Petunia has bicycled over again to-day, the second 

 time within the week, and it is easy to see that 

 she is brimming with the desire to tell me some- 

 thing. The only way to meet her is with a com- 

 plete absence of inquisitiveness, which is the most 

 trying and embarrassing to her of all the various 

 fronts which one can present. How happy she is 

 if her friend and confidant of the moment will say s 

 " Petunia, darling, tell me what is on your mind " ; 

 or, " Dear Petunia, you are looking a little unhappy 

 to-day ! " But no one who really knew Petunia 

 would be foolish enough to adopt such elementary 

 tactics as these, which lead to much circumlocution 

 on her part, and not a little self-pity. So we talk 

 indifferently about apple blossom, or about the 

 effect of late spring frost on the strawberries, and 

 we discuss the respective demerits of the brown and 

 the black slug. And all the time I know that I 

 shall presently yield to her mood out of sheer good 

 nature, and shall hear myself saying, "Petunia, 

 darling, tell me what is troubling you." 



She ate a very good luncheon, looking the picture 

 of misery throughout the meal. Afterwards she 

 indulged in a larger quantity than usual of pepper- 

 mint creams, only holding her hand when I re- 

 marked that I considered peppermint exhilarating. 

 Then she asked what was the most remarkable 

 instance of patient silent agony that had ever come 

 under my notice. I assured her that nothing of the 

 kind had ever struck me more forcibly than the sight 

 of a lean countryman whom I had seen one even- 



