act without wanting to know who
she was or where Michael had met her.

"By Jove, I must hurry up and find my girl. But I don't think I'm
desperately keen to get married yet. I vote for a house near the Canal,
if we can find the right one."

That afternoon they set out.

They changed their minds and went to Hampstead first, where Maurice was
very anxious to take a large Georgian house with a garden of about
fifteen acres. He offered to move himself and Castleton from Grosvenor
Road in order to occupy one of the floors, and he was convinced that the
stable would be very useful if they wanted to start a printing press.

"Yes, but we don't want to start a printing press," Michael objected.
"And really, Mossy, I think twenty-three bedrooms more than one servant
can manage."

It was with great reluctance that Maurice gave up the idea of this
house, and he was so much depressed by the prospect of considering
anything less huge that he declared Hampstead was impossible, and they
went off to Regent's Park.

"I don't think you're likely to find anything so good as that house,"
Maurice said gloomily. "In fact, I know you won't. I wish I could afford
to take it myself. I should, like a shot. Castleton could be at the
Temple just as soon from there."

"I don't see why he should bother about the Temple," said Michael. "That
house was rather bigger."

"You'll never find another house like it," Maurice prophesied. "Look at
this neighborhood we're driving through now. Impossible to live here!"

They were in the Hampstead Road.

"I haven't any intention of doing so," Michael laughed. "But there
remains the neighborhood of the canal, the neighborhood you originally
suggested. Hampstead was an afterthought."

"Wonderful house!" Maurice sighed. "I shall always regret you didn't
take it."

However, when they had paid off the cab, he became interested by the new
prospect; and they wandered for a while, peering through fantastic
railings at houses upon the steep banks of the canal, houses that seemed
to have been stained to a sad green by the laurels planted close around
them. Nothing feasible for a lodging was discovered near Regent's Park;
and they crossed St. John's Wood and Maida Vale, walking on until they
reached a point where at the confluence of two branches the canal became
a large triangular sheet of water. Occupying the whole length of the
base of this triangle and almost level with the water, stood the garden
of a v