den,
digging their war plots and sweeping up dead leaves. They were
warm-hearted, friendly children, and adopted Monica immediately. By the
end of ten minutes she was seated on the dead leaves inside the
wheel-barrow, nursing Perugia, with Madox squatting at her feet, Beata
and Romola chattering one on each side, while Lilith and Constable
brought dilapidated toys for her inspection. As she seemed to be
perfectly happy and to be thoroughly enjoying herself, Lorraine
suggested leaving her there for a while.

"I thought perhaps you'd like to come and walk with me?" she said to
Claudia.

"I'd love it above everything. May Morland and Landry go too?"

"Why, of course, if they care to!"

"You won't mind Landry?" Claudia hesitated and blushed rosy pink. "You
know he's not quite the same as other boys. You mustn't expect too much
from him. But he's very affectionate, and he likes to come with us."

"Oh, please bring him! I quite understand!"

Lorraine had indeed seen at once, without any explanation from Claudia,
that poor Landry, in spite of his fourteen years, was more childish than
Madox. He was a fine well-grown boy, in features perhaps the most
beautiful of all the handsome family, with china blue eyes and pale gold
hair that curled from the roots, and a mouth that would have done credit
to one of Botticelli's cherubs. In mind, however, Landry had never
advanced beyond the age of seven. He was quiet and inoffensive, spoke
little, and seemed to live in a sort of dream world of his own. He was
devoted to Claudia, and quite happy and contented if he might follow her
about and be near her. With the rest of the family, and especially with
his stepmother, he was sometimes fractious, but Claudia could always
manage him and calm him down. Her invariable kindness to him was one of
the nicest features in her character. He clung to her arm now as the
four young people set off across the moor.

"He's been having rather a blow-up with Violet," explained Claudia.
"It's your own fault this time, Landry, you know! Still, it's just as
well to take a walk and let the atmosphere clear before we come back.
Violet easily fizzes over, but she doesn't keep it up long. Where shall
we go, Lorraine? You know the walks here better than we do."

"Suppose we go past Pettington Church and along the cliffs to Tangy
Point?"

"Right you are! Anything you like will suit us," agreed Morland easily.

So they turned through the farmyard and down