day after another. Spencer went back to Malta,
and Jim came down to stay for Christmas, also Lady Mary and her husband,
and I sat up in my room making presents, and trying to live in the
present and not look ahead. Then Christmas morning came, and among a
stack of cards was a letter from Rachel--an extraordinary letter!

"I am quite well again," she wrote, "but mother is very frail, and takes
cold at every change in the weather. Even this sheltered place seems
too bleak for her, and we are seriously contemplating going abroad--not
to the Continent, but a much longer journey--to South Africa itself!
You may have heard that mother spent her early life at the Cape, and now
that father has gone it is only natural that she should wish to spend
her last years near her brothers and sisters. It will be a wrench for
me to leave England, and all the dear friends who have been so kind to
me, but I feel more and more strongly that it is the right thing to do.
We shall try to sell the Grange, but shall, of course, come back for a
few weeks after the New Year to pack up and make final arrangements, if,
as I think probable, our plans are settled by that time."

The letter went on to discuss other subjects, but I could not bring my
mind to attend to them. I just sat staring at that one paragraph, and
reading it over again and again and again.

Going to the Cape! To spend her mother's last days! Mrs Greaves was
not an old woman. She might easily live for another ten or fifteen
years. Did Rachel seriously mean to imply that she herself was going to
remain in South Africa all that time? And what about Will? Was he
supposed to wait patiently until she returned, or to expatriate himself
in order to join her? I felt utterly bewildered, and the worst of it
was that there was no one near who could throw any light on the subject,
or answer one of my questions. At one moment I felt indignant with
Rachel for making no mention of Will's interest; at the next I marvelled
how a mother, so kind and devoted as Mrs Greaves, could possibly demand
such a sacrifice of her daughter. What would Will say when the project
was unfolded to him? After his long waiting he would be quite justified
in taking a strong position and refusing to be put aside any longer.
From what I knew of him, I fancied that he would do so--I hoped he
would. Nothing could be more trying and dangerous for him or for me
than a long, dragging engagement, with Rachel at