ght have been delivered; Gertie
decided it would be sufficient to refrain from acceding to his request.
Henry saluted with his whip folk who passed by, and told her who they
were; stopped at one shop to take a parcel of wools intended for his
mother. He had talked about Gertie to his mother, and she was anxious
to meet Miss Higham.

"She'll be still more anxious to see me go away."

"You wouldn't say that," he asserted, "if you knew her."

"It's really Lady Douglass I'm afraid of. Look at that board,
'Trespassers will be prosecuted.' I feel it's meant for me."

"Trespassers," he said, "as a matter of fact, cannot be prosecuted.
The board is all nonsense. Trespassers can only be prosecuted when
they do some sort of damage."

She glanced around to watch a baby in the garden of a cottage; Clarence
Mills and Miss Loriner were kissing. Gertie did not speak again until
they reached the iron gates.

"I want to show you the tennis court," he said. "The man here can
drive your cousin and Miss Loriner up to the house." She hesitated as
he, stepping down, held out his hand. "My mother is waiting there!"

They found the grey-haired old lady resting on a low white enamelled
seat, watching a game of singles between two stout men, who had the
distressed look of those who play for the sake of health and figure.
The ruddier of the two was pointed out as Mr. Jim Langham, brother to
Lady Douglass; the other, a barrister with leanings in the direction of
political work, and a present desire to be amiable towards everybody in
the neighbourhood who possessed a vote.

"Now, you are to sit down here, Miss Higham," said the old lady, "and
talk to me. I may interrupt you, now and again, but you mustn't mind
that. One of the few privileges of age."

"I don't know what to talk about."

"Talk about yourself. I've heard about you from Henry, but I want to
verify the information. You work for your living, don't you? Well
now, that is interesting. I did the same before I was married. I
married rather well, and then, of course, there was no necessity for me
to go on with it."

"When my dear mother says she wants you to talk to her," explained
Henry, "what she really means is that she wishes to talk to you. If
you don't mind, I'll go over and teach these men how to play tennis."

Jim Langham came across directly that the game was finished,
interrupting the two as they were getting on good terms with each
other; on the way,