what nonsense!" she preached to herself in elderly
remonstrating fashion. "You met the man, and he was pleased to see
you--he seemed quite anxious to meet you again. Perfectly natural!
Pray don't imagine any special meaning in _that_! You looked quite an
attractive little girl in your pretty blue dress, and men like to talk
to attractive little girls. I dare say he says just the same to dozens
of girls!" So spake the inner voice, but spoke in vain. The best
things of life are beyond reasoning. As in religion reason leads us, as
it were, to the very edge of the rock of proven fact, then faith takes
wing, and soars above the things of earth into the great silence where
the soul communes with God, so in love there comes to the heart a
sweetness, a certainty, which no reasoning can shake. As Erskine's eyes
had looked into hers in those moments of farewell, Claire had realised
that between this man and herself there existed a bond which was
stronger than spoken word.

So far as she could foresee, they were hopelessly divided by the
circumstances of life, but in the first dawn of love no lover troubles
himself about what the future may bring; the sweetness of the present is
all-sufficient. Claire was happy, and longed for every one else to be
as happy as herself. Moreover, her suspicions concerning Major Carew
had been lulled to rest by Erskine's favourable pronouncement.
Personally she did not like him, but this was, after all, a matter of
taste; she could not approve his actions, but conceivably there might be
explanations of which she was unaware. Her manner to Cecil regained its
old spontaneous friendliness, and Cecil responded with almost pathetic
readiness. In her ungracious way she had grown fond of her pretty,
kindly companion, and had missed the atmosphere of home which her
presence had given to the saffron parlour. As they sat over their
simple supper, she would study Claire's face with a questioning glance,
and one night the question found vent in words.

"You look mightily pleased with yourself, young woman! Your eyes are
sparkling as if you were having a firework exhibition on your own
account. I never saw a school-mistress look so perky at the end of the
summer term! Look as if you'd come into a fortune!"

"Wish I had!" sighed Claire, thankful to switch the conversation on to a
safe topic. "It would come in most usefully at the moment. What are
you going to do for the summer hols, Cecil? Is