erything. And I think I like his
persistence."

"As his wife," Lady Caroom said, "you would have immense opportunities
for doing good. He has a great deal of property in London, besides
three huge estates in Somerset."

"That is a great consideration," Sybil said, earnestly. "I shall always
be thankful that I met Mr. Brooks. He made me think in a practical way
about things which have always troubled me a little. I should hate to
seem thoughtless or ungrateful to him. Will you tell me something,
mother?" Of course."

"Do you think that he cares--at all?"

I think he does--a little!

"Enough to be reconciled with his father for my sake?"

"No! Not enough for that," Lady Caroom answered.

Sybil drew a little breath.

"I think," she said, "that that decides me."

The long ascent was over at last. They pulled up before the inn, in
front of which the proprietor was already executing a series of low
bows. Before they could descend there was a familiar sound from behind,
and a young man, in a grey flannel suit and Panama hat, jumped from his
motor and came to the carriage door.

"Don't be awfully cross!" he exclaimed, laughing. "You know you half
promised to come with me this afternoon, so I couldn't help having a
spin out to see whether I could catch you up. Won't you allow me, Lady
Caroom? The step is a little high."

"It isn't any use being cross with you," Sybil remarked. "It never
seems to make any impression."

"I am terribly thick-skimmed," he answered, "when I don't want to
understand. Will you ladies have some tea, or come and see how the
restoration is getting on?"

"We were proposing to go and see what the German Emperor's idea of a
Roman camp was," Sybil answered.

"Oh, you can't shake me off now, can you, Lady Caroom?" he declared,
appealing to her. "We'll consider it an accident that you found me
here, if you like, but it is in reality a great piece of good fortune
for you."

"And why, may I ask?" Sybil inquired, with uplifted eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm an authority on this place--come here nearly every day to give
the director, as he calls himself, some hints. Come along, Lady Caroom.
I'll show you the baths and the old part of the outer wall."

Lady Caroom very soon had enough of it. She sat down upon a tree and
brought out her sketchbook.

"Give me a quarter of an hour, please," she begged, "not longer. I want
to be home for tea."

They strolled off, Atherstone turning a little nervously to S