nce that sometimes she almost dreaded meeting him in
actuality again. Would not the charm vanish with nearness? She felt that
she could far better miss his bodily presence from her life than those
wonderful, satisfying letters.

* * * * *

The spring came and with it a new shock for Sophy. She was writing in
her old study one March morning when Harold Grey entered with the day's
paper in his hand. What he had come to show her was the notice of the
death of Lord Wychcote.

Sophy took the paper from him, feeling quite dazed. She grew pale as she
read. The notice stated that Viscount Wychcote had died in his sleep at
his country seat, Dynehurst, on the night of the second of March. The
news had been wired to the _Times_ as being of interest in connection
with the divorce of Mrs. Morris Loring, whose son, by her first marriage
with Lord Wychcote's younger brother, the Hon. Cecil Chesney, would now
succeed to the title--etc., etc.

The shock was a double one to Sophy, for in addition to her sincere
affection for Gerald, there was the question of the allowance which he
had renewed immediately after her divorce. Now this allowance would
most probably be stopped. She had no idea whether Gerald had been in a
position to leave her anything, or whether, in case the property were
all entailed, she would be still given an allowance, as Bobby's mother
and guardian. In case she had to depend entirely on her own slender
income, she did not see how she could manage to live in England. She
supposed that a sum would be apportioned for Bobby's education, but even
that was only a surmise.

Within a few days, however, came a full letter from Mr. Surtees. He
explained to her that the bulk of the Wychcote property was entailed,
but that certain property which had been left to the late Lord Wychcote
in fee simple by a maternal aunt, had been willed to her (Mrs. Chesney)
by his lordship. This property consisted of the town house in Regent's
Park in which Mrs. Chesney had formerly resided, and a small estate in
Warwickshire, called Breene Manor. The Manor house was in good
condition, though not of great size. It was a Tudor building and stood
in grounds thickly wooded. The situation was salubrious and the view
fine, but there was no income from the estate, as Miss Bollinghame, the
relative from whom the late Earl inherited the property, had sold all
but a hundred acres of the original lands. He wished to explai