tea was over, and the children busy with picture books that
had come mysteriously from another of his pockets, did David Linton
unfold his plan: and then he did it somewhat nervously.

"We want to take you all out of this, Mrs. Hunt," he said. "There's a
little cottage--a jolly little thatched place--close to our house that
is simply clamouring to have you all come and live in it. I think it
will hold you all comfortably. Will you come?"

Mrs. Hunt flushed.

"Don't talk to poor Bloomsbury people of such heavenly things as
thatched cottages," she said. "We have this horrible abode on a long
lease, and I don't see any chance of leaving it."

"Oh, never mind the lease--we'll sub-let it for you," said Mr. Linton.
He told her briefly of John O'Neill's bequest to Norah.

"I want you to put it out of your head that you're accepting the
slightest favour," he went on. "We feel that we only hold the place
in trust; the cottage is there, empty, and indeed it is you who will
be doing us the favour by coming to live in it."

"Oh--I couldn't," she said breathlessly.

"Just think of it, Mrs. Hunt!" Norah knelt down by the hard little
horsehair sofa. "There's a big lawn in front, and a summer-house
where the babies could play, and a big empty attic for them on wet
days, and heaps of fresh milk, and you could keep chickens; and the
sitting-room catches all the sun, and when Major Hunt comes out of the
hospital it would be so quiet and peaceful. He could lie out under
the trees on fine days on a rush lounge; and there are jolly woods for
him to walk in." The poor wife caught her breath. "And he'd be such
tremendous company for Dad, and I know you'd help me when I got into
difficulties with my cook-lady. There's a little stream, and a tiny
lake, and----"

"When is we goin', Muvver?"

The question was Alison's, put with calm certainty. She and Geoffrey
had stolen near, and were listening with eager faces.

"Oh, my darling, I'm afraid we can't," said Mrs. Hunt tremulously.

"But the big girl says we can. When is we going?"

"Oh, Mother!" said Geoffrey, very low. "Away from--_here_!" He
caught her hand. "Oh, say we're going, Mother--darling!"

"Of course she'll say it," David Linton said. "The only question is,
how soon can you be ready?"

"Douglas is terribly proud," Mrs. Hunt said. "I am afraid I couldn't
be proud. But he will never accept a favour. I know it would be no
use to ask him."

"Then we won