hat from the
first he had some idea what it was that I wanted to say.

"Isobel, when she came to us little more than a year ago," I continued,
"was a child. We have always treated her, and I believe thought of her,
as a child. It was perhaps a daring experiment to have brought her here
at all, and yet I am inclined to think that, under the circumstances, it
was the best thing for her, and, from another point of view, an
excellent thing for us!"

"Excellent! Why, it has made all the difference in the world," Arthur
declared vigorously.

"I see that you follow me," I agreed. "Her coming seems to have steadied
us up all round. The changes which we were obliged to make in our manner
of living have all been for the better. I am afraid that we were
drifting, Allan and I, at any rate into a somewhat objectless sort of
existence, and our work was beginning to show the signs of it. The
coming of Isobel seems to have changed all that. You, Allan, know that
you have never done better work in your life than during the last year.
Your portrait of her was an inspiration. Some of those smaller studies
show signs of a talent which I think has surprised everyone, except
Arthur and myself, who knew what you could do when you settled down to
it. I, too, have been more successful, as you know. I have done better
work, and more of it. You agree with me so far, Allan?"

"There is no doubt at all about it," Mabane said slowly. "There has been
a different atmosphere about the place since the child came, and we have
thrived in it. We are all better, much the better, for her coming!"

"I am glad that you appreciate this, Allan," I said. "This sort of thing
is rather hard to put into words, but I believe that you fellows
understand exactly what I mean. We have had to amuse her, and in doing
so we have developed simpler and better tastes for ourselves. We've had
to give up a lot of things, and a lot of friends we've been much better
without."

"It's true, every word of it, Arnold," Mabane admitted, knocking out the
ashes from his pipe. "We've chucked the music-halls for the theatres,
and our lazy slacking Sundays, with a night at the club afterwards, for
long wholesome days in the country--very jolly days, too. We're better
men in our small way for the child's coming, Arnold. You can take that
for granted. Now, go on with what you have to say. I suppose this is all
a prelude to something or other."

Even then I hesitated, for my task was n