as soon as I can. I
see you are hard at work. Is that the book? How do you get on? You have
promised to send it me, you know, as soon as you have enough in hand."

"Yes," said Maud, "I will send it you. It has done me good already,
doing this. It is very good of you to have suggested it--and I like to
think it may be of some use."

"I have been with Jack all the afternoon," said Howard, "and I am
afraid he is rather vexed with me. I can't have that. He drew a rather
unpleasant picture of me; he seemed to think I have taken this place
rather in hand from the Don's point of view. He thinks I should die if
I were unable to improve the occasion."

Maud looked up at him with a troubled and rather indignant air. "Jack
is perfectly horrid just now," she said; "I can't think what has come
over him; and considering that you have been coaching him every day,
and getting him shooting and fishing, it seems to me quite detestable!
I oughtn't to say that; but you mustn't be angry with him, Mr. Kennedy.
I think he is feeling very independent just now, and he said to me that
it made him feel that he was back at school to have to go up with his
books to the Manor every morning. But he is all right really. I am sure
he is grateful; it would be too shameful if he were not. Please don't
be vexed with him."

Howard laughed. "Oh, I am not vexed! Indeed, I am rather glad he spoke
out--at my age one doesn't often get the chance of being sincerely
scolded by a perfectly frank young man. One does get donnish and
superior, no doubt, and it is useful to find it out, though it isn't
pleasant at the time. We have made it up, and he was quite repentant; I
think it is altogether natural. It often happens with young men to get
irritated with one, no doubt, but as a rule they don't speak out; and
this time he has got me between the joints of my armour."

"Oh, dear me!" said Maud, "I think the world is rather a difficult
place! It seems ridiculous for me to say that in a place like this,
when I think what might be happening if I were poor and had to earn my
living. It is silly to mind things so; but Jack accuses me of the same
sort of thing. He says that women can't let people alone; he says that
women don't really want to DO anything, but only to SEEM to have their
way."

"Well, then, it appears we are both in the same box," said Howard, "and
we must console each other and grieve over being so much misunderstood."

He felt that he had spoken ra