ecil's loan remained unpaid. She had spent her holidays with her
mother as arranged, but her finances did not appear to have profited
thereby. Dunning for bills became so incessant that the landlady spoke
severely of the "credit of the house." She went out constantly in the
evening, and several times Claire heard Major Carew's voice at the door,
but he never came into the house, and there was no talk of an open
engagement.

As for Claire herself, she had had a happy time in Brussels, staying
with both English and Belgian friends and re-visiting all the old
haunts. She thoroughly enjoyed the change, but could not honestly say
that she wished the old life to return. If she came back with a heavy
heart, it was neither poverty nor work which she feared, but rather the
want of that atmosphere of love and kindliness which make the very
essence of home. At the best of times Mary Rhodes was a difficult
companion and far from affectionate in manner, but since the giving of
that last loan, there had arisen a mental barrier which it seemed
impossible to surmount. It had become difficult to keep up a
conversation apart from school topics, and both girls found themselves
dreading the evening's _tete-a-tete_.

Claire felt like a caged bird beating against the bars. She wanted an
outlet from the school life, and the call of the spring was insistent to
one who until now had spent the summer in wandering about some of the
loveliest scenes in Europe. She wearied of the everlasting streets, and
discovered that by hurrying home after afternoon school, making a quick
change of clothing, and catching a motor-'bus at the corner of the road,
she could reach Hyde Park by half-past five, and spend a happy hour
sitting on one of the green chairs, enjoying the beauty of the flowers,
and watching the never-ending stream of pedestrians and vehicles.
Sometimes she recognised Mrs Willoughby and Janet bowling past in their
luxurious motor, but they never saw her, and she was not anxious that
they should. What she wanted was to sit still and rest. Sometimes a
smartly-dressed woman, obviously American, would seat herself on the
next chair, and inquire as to the best chance of seeing the Queen, and
the question being amiably answered, would proceed to unasked
confidences. She thought England "sweet." She had just come over to
this side. She was staying till the fall. Who was the lady in the
elegant blue auto? The London fashions were just