ld was only thirty-two. She wondered
how many more ploughing times they would have to go through, how many
seed times and harvests. And how would they go through them? Would they
go on getting more and more tired, or would something happen?

No. Nothing would happen. Nothing that they could bear to think of. They
would just go on.

In the stillness of the house she could feel her heart beating,
measuring out time, measuring out her pain.

ii

That winter Adeline and John Severn came down to Wyck Manor for
Christmas and the New Year.

Adeline was sitting in the drawing-room with Maisie in the heavy hour
before tea time. All afternoon she had been trying to talk to Maisie,
and she was now bored. Jerrold's wife had always bored her. She couldn't
imagine why Jerrold had married her when it was so clear that he was not
in love with her.

"It's funny," she said at last, "staying in your own house when it isn't
your own any more."

Maisie hoped that Adeline would treat the house as if it were her own.

"I probably shall. Don't be surprised if you hear me giving orders to
the servants. I really cannot consider that Wilkins belongs to anybody
but me."

Maisie hoped that Adeline wouldn't consider that he didn't.

And there was a pause. Adeline looked at the clock and saw that there
was still another half-hour till tea time. How could they possibly fill
it in? Then, suddenly, from a thought of Jerrold so incredibly married
to Maisie, Adeline's mind wandered to Anne.

"Is Anne dining here tonight?" she said.

And Maisie said yes, she thought Adeline and Mr. Severn would like to
see as much as possible of Anne. And Adeline said that was very kind of
Maisie, and was bored again.

She saw nothing before her but more and more boredom; and the subject of
Anne alone held out the prospect of relief. She flew to it as she would
have fled from any danger.

"By the way, Maisie, if I were you I wouldn't let Anne see too much of
Jerrold."

"Why not?"

"Because, my dear, it isn't good for her."

"I should have thought," Maisie said, "it was very good for both of
them, as they like each other. I should never dream of interfering with
their friendship. That's the way people get themselves thoroughly
disliked. I don't want Jerry to dislike me, or Anne, either. I like them
to feel that if he _is_ married they can go on being friends just the
same."

"Oh, of course, if you like it----"

"I do like it," said Maisie, firml