ittle man said in a low voice: "Deaf, I see. A great
affliction--a great affliction!"

At last they had seen everything, and stood once more in the hall
before the open door. "Well, we came just as a matter of form," said
the husband. "Never do to buy a pig in a poke, you know! But we shall
go straight to Mr. Wilson and tell him we have decided to buy. You may
make your mind at rest about that. Of course, there is a good deal to
be done inside. But what I say is, it is a gentleman's house."

Then the wife said, glancing through the open door. "Oh! by the way,
Miss Wilson, we wondered if you would mind our man coming in one day to
dig up the privet hedge? You know labour is so difficult to get in
Thorhaven, and we happen to have a man engaged for another month; so
perhaps you----" Her voice trailed off into silence, for she was a
little abashed by that look in Miss Ethel's pale eyes. "It won't look
so pretty, of course, but it will let light and air into the house."

"Oh yes," said Miss Ethel, smiling with strained lips.

Then they went down the drive, leaving her there in the doorway staring
at the privet hedge. Over the hedge, a fire had just been lighted in
the scarcely completed bungalow, so that the white smoke streamed like
a flag from the tall chimney, just moved a little from the south so
that it swung over towards the Cottage. A week or two more and the
hedge would be down. There would be no barrier at all between this
quiet garden and all those rows of houses which had been marching on,
nearer and nearer, ever since the first one was built. As Miss Ethel
stood there, she felt beaten. She knew at last, what she had fought so
hard not to know, that the powers against her in the world were too
strong--that her opposition was ridiculous and futile. Nothing that
she could ever say or do would make the slightest difference.

She returned to the room where Mrs. Bradford was sitting. "They will
be sending some one to take up the hedge in a few days," she said.

"You don't mean it!" exclaimed Mrs. Bradford, startled into animation.
"Oh, what a thing it is to be without a man in a matter like this! I
know my dear husband would never have allowed it."

But Miss Ethel was at the window again, quietly looking out. "They say
it will let light and air into the house. It won't look so pretty, but
it will let light and air into the house."

Then they ceased speaking for the moment because Caroline ha