d Tibby. "We are to be enlightened presently."

Margaret came close up to her and whispered that she had had a proposal
of marriage from Mr. Wilcox.

Helen was amused. She opened the gate on to the downs so that her
brother might lead the pony through. "It's just like a widower," she
remarked. "They've cheek enough for anything, and invariably select one
of their first wife's friends."

Margaret's face flashed despair.

"That type--" She broke off with a cry. "Meg, not anything wrong with
you?"

"Wait one minute," said Margaret, whispering always.

"But you've never conceivably--you've never--" She pulled herself
together. "Tibby, hurry up through; I can't hold this gate indefinitely.
Aunt Juley! I say, Aunt Juley, make the tea, will you, and Frieda; we've
got to talk houses, and will come on afterwards." And then, turning her
face to her sister's, she burst into tears.

Margaret was stupefied. She heard herself saying, "Oh, really--" She
felt herself touched with a hand that trembled.

"Don't," sobbed Helen, "don't, don't, Meg, don't!" She seemed incapable
of saying any other word. Margaret, trembling herself, led her forward
up the road, till they strayed through another gate on to the down.

"Don't, don't do such a thing! I tell you not to--don't! I know--don't!"

"What do you know?"

"Panic and emptiness," sobbed Helen. "Don't!"

Then Margaret thought, "Helen is a little selfish. I have never behaved
like this when there has seemed a chance of her marrying." She said:
"But we would still see each other very--often, and you--"

"It's not a thing like that," sobbed Helen. And she broke right away and
wandered distractedly upwards, stretching her hands towards the view and
crying.

"What's happened to you?" called Margaret, following through the wind
that gathers at sundown on the northern slopes of hills. "But it's
stupid!" And suddenly stupidity seized her, and the immense landscape
was blurred. But Helen turned back.

"I don't know what's happened to either of us," said Margaret, wiping
her eyes. "We must both have done mad." Then Helen wiped hers, and they
even laughed a little.

"Look here, sit down."

"All right; I'll sit down if you'll sit down."

"There. (One kiss.) Now, whatever, whatever is the matter?"

"I do mean what I said. Don't; it wouldn't do."

"Oh, Helen, stop saying 'don't'! It's ignorant. It's as if your head
wasn't out of the slime. 'Don't' is probably what Mrs. Bast says