e would not be a bad place for me
to make my little pile."

It was impossible not to laugh at Dinah's horrified face.

"Don't believe him, Die," observed Elizabeth calmly. "Cedric has no
vocation for a business man--he is only teasing you. Yes, Tina and
Patty will have plenty of money," but as Malcolm did not seem to warm
up to any interest, Elizabeth with much tact changed the subject, and
they were soon discussing the other guests.

When Malcolm woke the next morning his first feeling was regret that
his visit was over. He had accepted Cedric's invitation with
reluctance, and had put him off again and again. He had a remorseful
consciousness that he might have been a guest at the Wood House
eighteen months ago. By this time he would have been intimate with the
sisters. He might--but here Malcolm leapt rather impatiently from his
couch. What was the good of thinking over past mistakes! He had been a
fool, and stood in his own light--that was all. During breakfast he was
very cheerful, and seemed in such excellent spirits that the passing
thought occurred to Elizabeth that Mr. Herrick was not sorry that his
visit had ended.

"We are not clever enough for him," she said to herself regretfully;
but Malcolm's next speech dispelled this idea.

Dinah had just expressed her regret at losing him.

"I have no wish to go, I assure you," was his reply; "I have never
spent a happier week in my life. But you know in another two or three
weeks I hope to be settled at the Crow's Nest. We shall be near
neighbours then." He looked at Elizabeth as he spoke. It struck him
that she was a little embarrassed. Her colour rose, and there was a
slight pucker in her brow, as though something perplexed her; but the
next minute it was gone.

"In that case we must fix the date for the Templeton Bean-feast," she
remarked briskly. "Mr. Herrick," her voice changing to earnestness,
"will it be quite impossible for Miss Sheldon to come to our
garden-party. We could put her up easily--and it is really rather a
pretty sight. We had two hundred people last year, and the Hungarian
band."

"It was rattling good sport," chimed in Cedric. "There were fifteen of
our fellows sleeping at 'The Plough,' because we had a dance in the
evening; not only our house, but Hazel Beach, the Ross's house, and
Brentwood Place, where Colonel Brent lives, were crammed with guests.
People talked about it for a month afterwards."

"It cost a great deal of money," obs