ou to be willing to give them
such a delightful change as that," he went on--"to take a whole family
on your shoulders for six long months."

"A family of two. And it would be a pleasure."

"I suppose you know that people don't often do such things, except for
their relatives. Not very often for them."

"I know it perfectly; I have always wondered why they did not--provided,
of course, that they had the ability," answered Margaret.

Winthrop in his heart had been much astonished by her plan. He looked at
her as if in search of some expression that should throw a gleam of
light upon her motives. But she had not moved, and he could still see
only her profile. After a while she lifted her eyes, which had been
resting with abstracted gaze upon the water, and, for the first time,
turned them towards him. A faint smile crossed her face as she met his
inquiring look, but her expression under the smile seemed to him sad;
she bent her head slightly without speaking, as if to say good-by, and
then she went back through the long window into the house. Winthrop,
left behind, said to himself that while he had no desire as a general
thing for long conversations with Margaret Harold, he wished this time
that she had not gone away so soon. Then it came to him that she almost
always went away, that it was almost always she who rose, and on some
pretext or other left him to himself; she left him--he did not leave
her; on this occasion she had gone without the pretext; she had not
taken the trouble to invent one, she had simply walked off. Of course
she was quite free to come and go as she pleased. But he should have
liked to hear more about her plan for Garda.

The next day she did not go down to East Angels. Her proposed visit had
had to do with Lucian Spenser, and Lucian Spenser had taken his
departure from Gracias that morning--a final departure, as it was
understood; at least he had no present intention of returning. It was
very sudden. He had had time to say good-by only to his cousin, Mr.
Moore. To Mr. Moore he had intrusted a little note of farewell for
Edgarda Thorne, who had returned to East Angels at an earlier hour,
without seeing Lucian or knowing his intention. Mr. Moore said that
Lucian had not known his intention himself until that morning; he had
received a letter, which was probably the cause of his departure (this
"probably" was very characteristic of the clergyman). He, Lucian,
intended to go directly north to Was