ourself about that. She won't do it again, I'll
promise you that. I've talked to her."

"I think it is time I took her," said Jim, "if she'll have me."

"Have you? Of course she'll have you. But you mustn't let Mountfield.
Don't think of that, my boy. We'll square it somehow, between us. My
girl won't come to you empty-handed, you know, and as long as the
settlements are all right you can keep her a bit short for a year or
two; tell her to go easy in the house. She's a good girl, and she'll do
her best. No occasion to let down the stables, and you must keep a good
head of game. We'll make that all right, and it won't do you any harm to
economise a bit in other ways. In fact it's a good thing for young
people. You might put down your carriage for a year, and perhaps a few
maids--I should keep the men except perhaps a gardener or two. Oh, there
are lots of ways; but don't let the place, Jim."

"Well, I'll think about it," said Jim, who had no intention of
prematurely disclosing his intentions to the Squire, "but you'll let me
have her, Mr. Clinton? I thought of going over to see her now."

"Go by all means, my boy," said the Squire heartily. "You'll find her
about somewhere, only don't make her late for lunch. You'll stay, of
course. You haven't seen Hayles about anywhere, have you? He's not in
the office."

Jim had not, and the Squire trotted off to find his agent, with a last
word of dissuasion on letting Mountfield.

The ubiquitous twins were in the stableyard when he rode in, raiding the
corn bin for sustenance for their fantails. "Hullo, Jim, my boy," said
Joan. "You're quite a stranger."

"You'll stay to lunch, of course," said Nancy. "How are the birds at
Mountfield? I think we ought to do very well here this year."

"Where is Cicely?" asked Jim, ignoring these pleasantries.

"She's out of doors somewhere," said Joan. "We'll help you find her. We
ought to be going in to lessons again, but starling won't mind."

"I can find her myself, thanks," said Jim. "Is she in the garden?"

"We'll show you," said Nancy. "You can't shake us off. We're like the
limpets of the rock."

But here Miss Bird appeared at the schoolroom window, adjuring the twins
to come in _at once_. "Oh, how do you do, Jim?" she cried, nodding her
head in friendly welcome. "Do you want to find Cicely she has gone down
to the lake to sketch."

"Bother!" exclaimed Joan. "Starling is so officious."

"You will find our sister in the Temple