charities
which received legacies had given thanks, those which did not were
turning resigned but hopeful eyes to the future. The undertaker sent in
his bill, and the Town Council discussed the project of a Driver
Memorial Hall--with a hardly disguised anticipation of the quarter from
which the bulk of the money was to come.

There was really not much more to do till Miss Driver's first days of
mourning were over, and the fascinating speculations as to her personal
gifts and qualities could look to find some satisfaction from her
appearances on public and private occasions. Only Cartmell still
was--and would be for weeks--busy on the labors attendant on the
transfer of a great estate, and the rearrangements necessitated by the
loss of an able and experienced man--a masterly worker--and the
succession of a girl ignorant of business. For the rest we were, as I
say, settling down. Even Cartmell's activity caused us at Breysgate no
sense of bustle, for it took him to London the day after the funeral and
kept him there for above a fortnight.

When I say that "we" were settling down I mean the trio formed by Miss
Driver, myself--and Miss Emily Chatters. It is my duty to introduce Miss
Chatters with proper formality, and I will introduce her presently--but
let us take people in their order. Miss Driver had inspected her
property (except the wine cellar which, to Loft's dismay, she declined
to enter); she had chosen her own set of rooms and given orders for them
to be entirely refurnished; she had announced her intention--and small
blame to her--of extending the refurnishing process to all the
sitting-rooms--at least to the sitting-rooms; she had chosen her own
hack from the stables--and I have no doubt that she had done what was
immediately requisite as regards her wardrobe. At any rate, an air of
achievement dwelt about her. For my part I performed my duties, and
began to find that I had less work to do--and more time occupied in
doing it. In Mr. Driver's day we worked as few men except Mr. Driver
understood work from ten to one; then, as a rule, I was free. Under the
new _regime_ we worked at a gentler pressure--a much gentler
pressure--for the same morning hours; but I stayed to lunch always, I
came back to tea frequently, and I returned to dinner two or three
evenings in the week. My duties as secretary grew lighter, but I seemed
to be assuming the functions of a companion. I may do myself the
incidental justice of sayi