g of the fruit trees. She had seen hillside orchards in the
west country break into a foam of flower--a sight perhaps as beautiful
as any England has to show. But, to her mind, it did not compare with
the sparse white bloom which lay like a first hoar frost on her
crooked trees and showed cold and delicate against the pale blue sky.
After that, nearly every day, there was something fresh and
interesting for Mr. Gillat and Julia, so that the March wind was
forgotten, except in the ill-effect on Captain Polkington with whom it
had disagreed a good deal, both in health and temper.

That spring, as indeed every spring, there was a flower show in London
at the Temple Gardens. The things exhibited were principally bulb
flowers, ixias, iris, narcissus and the like; the event was
interesting to growers, both professional and amateur. Joost Van
Heigen came over from Holland to attend; he was sent by his father in
a purely business capacity, but of course he was expected, and himself
expected, to enjoy it, too; there would be many novelties exhibited
and many beautiful flowers in which he would feel the sober
appreciative pleasure of the connoisseur. He came to England some days
before the show; he had, besides attending that, to see some important
customers on business, also one or two English growers.

Now, certain districts of Norfolk are very well suited to the
cultivation of bulbs, so it is not surprising that Joost's business
took him there. And, seeing that he had a Bradshaw and a good map, and
had, moreover, six months ago addressed Julia's box of bulbs to her
nearest railway town, it is not surprising that he found the
whereabouts of the town of Halgrave. It was on Saturday night when he
found it on the map; he was sitting in the coffee-room of a temperance
hotel at the time. He had done business for the day, and, seeing that
the English do not care about working on Sundays, he would probably
have to-morrow as well as to-night free. Julia's town was close--a
short railway journey, then a walk to Halgrave, and then one would be
at her home--it would be a pleasant way of spending the morning of a
spring Sunday. He thought about it a little; he had no invitation to
go and see Julia, and he did not like going anywhere without an
invitation or an express reason. She might not want to see him, or it
might put out her domestic arrangements if he came; he knew domestic
arrangements were subject to such disturbances. He hesitate