tly good sense. And then they both burst out
laughing.

"Alma is ill," Nancy told him. "She has measles, and we are in
quarantine, so you ought to go away."

He looked at her tired face, where the strain of fear and trouble
showed in her pale cheeks and heavy eyes, and then he smiled in his
warm, understanding way, and said gently:

"You've been worried to death about something, haven't you, Nancy?
Well, I'm not going to ask you any questions now, only, whenever you
feel that you want to, remember that you can tell me anything. Would
you rather I went away now and came back later on, when you are less
troubled? Is there anything I can do?"

"Oh, don't go away--I mean, it's very nice to see you. Alma has a
nurse now, and I think she is going to be better soon--and it's so
_cheerful_ to see you!"

"Does Mr. Prescott know of Alma's illness?" he asked, after a moment's
hesitation. "I don't think my aunt does. She has just come back. I
landed the day before yesterday, and came down here last night. I--I
asked her about you all, and she said nothing about Alma's being ill."

"No, I don't suppose Uncle Thomas does know," answered Nancy. "He
comes over to see us every now and then, but then again he'll shut
himself up for quite a long while, and I don't think he knows what we
are doing any more than we know what he's doing."

"You know I'm buying a house here in Melbrook," said Mr. Arnold, rather
irrelevantly. "A very nice house--do you know that yellow one, with
the white columns and the porte-cochere over on Tindale Road?"

"I do know the one you mean," cried Nancy. "It's a beauty. There's
the loveliest old-fashioned garden----"

"That's it--that's the one. I--you're sure you like it?"

For some reason or other Nancy turned pink at this simple question, and
tried to stammer a casual reply. Then he went on serenely:

"I expect to have it in pretty good shape in a week or two, and when
your sister is better, I'd love to have you and your mother and Alma
come over and have tea with me. Aunt Eliza is directing the furnishing
and all that--she's quite in her element, but I'd love to have your
expert advice too. Heavens, _I_ don't know anything about chintz, and
scrim, and all that sort of foolishness."

He chatted along, telling her about his trip, recounting amusing little
incidents of the things that had happened on the boat, and completely
carrying her thoughts away from her own personal affairs.