aid stiffly.

But Laura was looking out of the window and did not listen. "Oh, here
is Godfrey!" she said, jumping up. "Will you excuse me a moment, Miss
Ethel?" And she hurried off to prevent an awkward meeting.

But before she reached the door, Godfrey was already in the
room--alert, buoyant, with his air of being well fed, well bathed, well
groomed and entirely certain of himself. Immediately after greeting
Laura, he turned to Miss Ethel. "I am very glad to have come across
you," he said, "I am afraid you felt hurt about that field before your
house; but the Warringborns meant to sell, so of course I couldn't tell
them to take their business elsewhere. And they were urgent, so the
whole thing was arranged hurriedly."

Miss Ethel drew down her mouth but said nothing; and before Laura could
make some trivial remark Miss Panton nervously filled in the pause by
murmuring: "Quite so. Delays are dadegerous."

Then Miss Ethel rose to go, and having recovered herself a little she
did manage to say a civil word to Wilson about the weather--because
after all he was her kinsman, and must be supported here as such.

A few minutes later, Wilson and Laura followed along the same road.
"Then I suppose we may take it that diplomatic relations have now been
resumed?" he said with a grin.

Laura smiled--but kindly--feeling some pity for Miss Ethel. "After
all, it is hard to have people looking over your hedge when you have
always had the place absolutely private. Only she will make such a
tragedy of the inevitable."

But Godfrey was not greatly concerned with Miss Ethel's feelings. "I
say, Laura," he began eagerly, pointing to some new houses. "There are
tremendous opportunities in Thorhaven for a man with capital. If only
I had twenty thousand pounds at my disposal, I could be a rich man in
ten years' time."

She looked up at him quickly, flushing a little. "Well, you can have,
Godfrey. I'd like you to have it. I get possession of my money on my
marriage, you know: and, thank goodness, it is not in trust. My father
had a perfect horror of leaving things in trust."

"I'm not sure I agree with him there," said Godfrey. "You might have
got hold of a chap who would make ducks and drakes of your money. But
as things are, it is all right, of course. The only question is--shall
you always be absolutely comfortable about it? Because, if you would
even feel the very faintest----"

"But I don't! I never shall,"