plenty of money like you, I would
never be content to settle here for the rest of my life, while the
great, wide world lay beyond. If Rex goes to India, why should you not
all pack up some year and pay him a visit? You could sail down the
Mediterranean and see all the lovely places on the way--Gibraltar, and
Malta, and Naples, and Venice; stay a month or two in India, and come
home overland through Switzerland and France. Oh, how delightful it
would be! You would have so much to see and to talk about afterwards.
Edna would get fat and rosy, and you and Mrs Freer would be quite young
and skittish by the time you got home! If you went to see him between
each of his visits home, the time would seem quite short."

"I daresay! I daresay! A very likely prospect. I am too old to begin
gadding about the world at my time of life," said the Squire; but he
straightened his back even as he spoke, and stepped out as if wishing to
disprove the truth of his own words. Norah saw his eyes brighten, and
the deep lines down his cheeks relax into a smile, and knew that her
suggestion had met a kindly welcome, "Well, there's no saying! If all
the young people go away and leave us, we shall be bound to make a move
in self-defence. You are off to London for the winter. It seems a year
of changes--"

"Oh, it is, it is, and I am so miserable! Lettice--my own, dear
Lettice--is going to be married, and she will never come back to live
with us any more. I have been looking forward to London, just to be
with her, and now it is further off than ever. It will never come!"

Norah had fought hard for the self-possession which she had shown during
the whole of the interview; but now her lips trembled, and the tears
rushed into her eyes. The future seemed dreary indeed, with Rex abroad,
Lettice appropriated by Arthur Newcome, and Edna at the other end of
England. She had hard work not to cry outright, to the great distress
of the Squire, who was the kindliest of men, despite his red face and
stentorian voice.

"Ha, humph--humph! Sorry, I'm sure. Very sorry! Come, come, my dear,
cheer up! Things may turn out better than we expect. I didn't know you
had a trouble of your own, or I would not have intruded mine. Shall we
go up to the house? There, take my arm. What a great, big girl you
are, to be sure!"

Norah found time for a whispered conference with Rex before he took his
seat behind his father and Edna in the dog-cart.

"