the water. After watching her a minute
Mrs. Arbuthnot did the same. Their happiness was then complete. Their
husbands would not have known them. They left off talking. They
ceased to mention heaven. They were just cups of acceptance.

Meanwhile Lady Caroline, on her wall, was considering her position.
The garden on the top of the wall was a delicious garden, but its
situation made it insecure and exposed to interruptions. At any moment
the others might come and want to use it, because both the hall and the
dining-room had doors opening straight into it. Perhaps, thought Lady
Caroline, she could arrange that it should be solely hers. Mrs. Fisher
had the battlements, delightful with flowers, and a watch-tower all to
herself, besides having snatched the one really nice room in the house.
There were plenty of places the originals could go to--she had herself
seen at least two other little gardens, while the hill the castle stood
on was itself a garden, with walks and seats. Why should not this one
spot be kept exclusively for her? She liked it; she liked it best of
all. It had the Judas tree and an umbrella pine, it had the freesias
and the lilies, it had a tamarisk beginning to flush pink, it had the
convenient low wall to sit on, it had from each of its three sides the
most amazing views--to the east the bay and mountains, to the north
the village across the tranquil clear green water of the little harbour
and the hills dotted with white houses and orange groves, and to the
west was the thin thread of land by which San Salvatore was tied to
the mainland, and then the open sea and the coast line beyond Genoa
reaching away into the blue dimness of France. Yes, she would say she
wanted to have this entirely to herself. How obviously sensible if
each of them had their own special place to sit in apart. It was
essential to her comfort that she should be able to be apart, left
alone, not talked to. The others ought to like it best too. Why
herd? One had enough of that in England, with one's relations and
friends--oh, the numbers of them!--pressing on one continually.
Having successfully escaped them for four weeks why continue, and
with persons having no earthly claim on one, to herd?

She lit a cigarette. She began to feel secure. Those two had
gone for a walk. There was no sign of Mrs. Fisher. How very pleasant
this was.

Somebody came out through the glass doors, just as she was
drawing a deep breath