as well as any of them. He owes nothing to being the son of
a rich man. It has been against him, if anything."

"Father hoped he was going to set up as a consulting physician," said
Cicely.

"Yes, and why?" asked Muriel. "Only because he wants him to live amongst
the right sort of people. He doesn't care a bit whether he would make a
good consultant or not. Walter says he isn't ready for it. He wants more
experience. It will all come in time. He is not even quite sure what he
wants to specialise on, or if he wants to specialise at all. At present
he only wants to be a G.P., with plenty of work and time for the
hospital."

"What is a G.P.?" asked Cicely.

"Oh, a general practitioner. It's what Walter calls it."

"Then why can't he be a G.P. in a nicer place than Melbury Park? It is
rather hard on you, Muriel, to take you to a place where you can't know
anybody."

"O my dear, what _do_ I care for all that nonsense about knowing people?
Surely there's enough of that here! Is this person to be called on, who
has come to live in a house which nobody ever called at before, or that
person, because nobody has ever heard of her people? I'm sick of it.
Even mother won't call on Bathgate people, however nice they may be, and
she's not nearly so stuck up as most of the county women."

"Yes, I know all that, and of course it's nonsense. But you must admit
that it is different with people who aren't gentle-people at all."

"I'm not a fool, and I don't pretend that I'm going to make bosom
friends of all Walter's patients, though I _am_ going to do what I can
to make things pleasant all round. We shall see our friends in London,
of course. Jim is going to give us a jolly good motor-car, and we shall
be able to dine out and go to the play and all that if we want to, and
people ask us. But it is all so unimportant, Cicely, that side of it.
Walter wants to get out of it. He'll be very busy, and the best times we
shall have will be in our own little house alone, or going right away
when we get a holiday."

"I dare say you are quite right," said Cicely. "Of course it will be
jolly to have your own house and do what you like with it. Has Walter
got a house yet?"

"There is quite a decent one we can have where the man who wants to sell
the practice lives. It is really bigger than we want, although it's only
a semi-detached villa. I should be able to have my friends to stay with
me. Cicely, you _must_ come directly we move in, and