d soothed
her with adroitness born of practice. When she was calm again he sat
with his arm round her talking of indifferent things till a clock
somewhere near struck three.

"They should be here directly," he said, but made no effort to rise.

"Would Aymer really mind being met?" she questioned.

"He'd rather be left to Vespasian and Tollens."

Tollens was the old butler.

"Won't he ever get used to it?"

"He is afraid of becoming an invalid if he gets hardened to it."

"But he is, isn't he?"

"Not a bit of it. He has perfectly wonderful health. He has massage
and all sorts of things to keep him up to the mark. Aymer's as vain as
a girl."

"I don't call it vanity. I call it pluck."

Nevil groaned, "Oh, you women, old and young! But you are right--and
there are my father and Christopher himself."

Christopher to his great joy had been allowed to drive down with Aymer
and Mr. Aston, and had found the journey not one mile too long. Indeed
towards the end his early curiosity as to the termination had
evaporated and the mile-stones had come in sight and vanished all too
quickly. It had been reassuring to find Vespasian awaiting them at the
door with the old butler to whom he was formally introduced as Mr.
Aymer's ward. Then having inquired of Tollens of the family's
whereabouts, Mr. Aston bore off Christopher for further
introductions.

At the entrance to the garden on the long terrace and by the gate
leading to the south garden he had paused and looked round with the
slow comprehensive glance of one acquainted with every detail. He
spoke nothing of his thoughts to Christopher, but the boy was quite
acutely aware that Mr. Aston loved this place and was happy to see it
again, while he calmly discussed the possibilities of fishing in the
lake that lay below like a silver mirror in the clear sunlight.

And in the south garden Nevil and Patricia met them. Patricia, still
white and shaken with the past storm, greeted Mr. Aston shyly, but had
no qualms about greeting Christopher. He, for his part, was far too
shy and too unused to girls' society to notice her mien. He did,
however, remember afterwards that she was standing by a great clump of
purple starlike flowers and that he thought her the most beautiful
thing he had ever seen, excepting, of course, Constantia Wyatt. He
made that mental reservation as they walked along together in front of
their elders, and then glancing sideways at the wonderful hair again,