most queer in her head about it."

"What a pity!" sighed Diana.

"Still, you can hardly blame her," added Mrs. Hewlitt. "It must be very
trying to live in a show place. I'm afraid, Lenox, you'll have to give
up the idea of going over it. Is anything to be seen from the road?"

"Nothing of the house; it's all hidden by the trees. You can only see
the great gates."

"It would hardly be worth a four-mile walk, just for the gates," decided
Mrs. Hewlitt. "If the car's not ready yet we'll just take a conveyance
and drive to Ratcliffe this afternoon."

The car repair proved a tougher job than either Giles or the blacksmith
had anticipated, and, as it apparently could not be finished for many
hours, the Hewlitts arranged to make an excursion in a wagonette, and,
as the inn seemed comfortable, to return to the village, spend the night
there, and proceed on their way the next morning. Though her mother had
dismissed all question of visiting the old Manor House, Diana still
harped on the subject. She and Lenox talked it over in private after
dinner. They were sitting in the porch of the hotel, watching the lights
begin to gleam in the windows down the village street. Mr. and Mrs.
Hewlitt were writing letters; Giles and Loveday had disappeared into the
garden to try to hear a nightingale reputed to sing there.

"Len," said Diana, "you oughtn't to leave this place without seeing your
ancestral home. Think of having an ancient ancestral family home! It's
an immense idea! Aren't you just crazy to go and look at it?"

Lenox rolled his cigarette carefully, and lighted it before replying.

"So crazy that I mean to go," he admitted at last. "Don't say anything
about it to the others, but I'm planning to get up early, climb over the
Manor House wall, and take a peep at the outside of the old place at any
rate before anybody's about. That much won't do the old lady's nerves
any harm. Besides, who's to find out?"

"What a ripping notion!" Diana drew her breath admiringly. "Oh, Len, I
_must_ go too! I simply _must_! I'd give everything in the world to see
your family manor. That woman said it has a moat. I've never seen a real
moated British manor."

"If you could be up by five?" suggested Lenox.

"Couldn't I? Just you wait and see! I'll be all dressed and ready and
standing in the hall by five o'clock. Oh, what _topping_ fun! Don't let
us tell a soul about it. We'll just keep it to ourselves."

"_Ra_--ther! I'm not going prating