She was sitting
next her father, and bending, whispered to him. Beatrice saw it and made
a motion as though to interpose, but before she could do so Mr. Granger
spoke.

"Look here, Mr. Bingham," he said, "if you want to move, would you like
a room here? Terms strictly moderate, but can't afford to put you up for
nothing you know, and living rough and ready. You'd have to take us as
you find us; but there is a dressing-room next to my room, where your
little girl could sleep, and my daughters would look after her between
them, and be glad of the job."

Again Beatrice opened her lips as though to speak, but closed them
without speaking. Thus do our opportunities pass before we realise that
they are at hand.

Instinctively Geoffrey had glanced towards Beatrice. He did not know if
this idea was agreeable to her. He knew that her work was hard, and
he did not wish to put extra trouble upon her, for he guessed that the
burden of looking after Effie would ultimately fall upon her shoulders.
But her face told him nothing: it was quite passive and apparently
indifferent.

"You are very kind, Mr. Granger," he said, hesitating. "I don't want to
go away from Bryngelly just at present, and it would be a good plan in
some ways, that is if the trouble to your daughters would not be too
much."

"I am sure that it is an excellent plan," broke in Lady Honoria, who
feared lest difficulties should arise as to her appropriation of Anne's
services; "how lucky that I happened to mention it. There will be no
trouble about our giving up the rooms at Mrs. Jones's, because I know
she has another application for them."

"Very well," said Geoffrey, not liking to raise objections to a scheme
thus publicly advocated, although he would have preferred to take time
to consider. Something warned him that Bryngelly Vicarage would prove a
fateful abode for him. Then Elizabeth rose and asked Lady Honoria if she
would like to see the rooms her husband and Effie would occupy.

She said she should be delighted and went off, followed by Mr. Granger
fussing in the rear.

"Don't you think that you will be a little dull here, Mr. Bingham?" said
Beatrice.

"On the contrary," he answered. "Why should I be dull? I cannot be so
dull as I should be by myself."

Beatrice hesitated, and then spoke again. "We are a curious family, Mr.
Bingham; you may have seen as much this afternoon. Had you not better
think it over?"

"If you mean that you do not want m