er a comfort with Babs."

"And I am to run down to the Crow's Nest when I like?" Then Amias
nodded a cheerful assent.

"We shall expect you from Saturday till Monday, and as many more days
as you like to give us. You are part of the household, my dear fellow.
I wish we could offer a room to Miss Sheldon; but we shall have to turn
the spare room into a nursery. By the bye, Malcolm, I strolled down the
road with Logan and passed the Wood House. It looks a charming place,
and it is only a stone's throw from the Crow's Nest."

Malcolm felt vaguely interested. What a small world it was after all!
He was going to make acquaintance with Cedric's people in this remote
corner of Surrey, and lo and behold, Goliath and his belongings were
following him.

Well, he was sick of the heat and turmoil of town, and it would not be
a bad plan to take possession of the garden room, and make Verity find
a quiet nook where he could write undisturbed. He really had a
brilliant scheme in his head--some essays which should interlace and
overlap each other like a linked chain of curious workmanship. He had
already accumulated his material, and he only wanted leisure to write.
He knew his trade well, and his strong, vigorous style, his admirable
choice of words, his pure English, and above all, his complete
knowledge of his subject, were already bringing him into notice with
the critics.

Yes, his summer holiday should be spent at the Crow's Nest, and he
would work and play at his own sweet will. It was a pity Anna could not
join them for a week or two. She and Verity would have become such
friends; and then he remembered his mother's prejudices. Besides, she
was thinking of going to Whitby, and if so she would expect Anna to
accompany her.

It was time for them to go now; but, as they drove home in a hansom,
Malcolm suddenly laid his hand on Anna's. "You are very quiet, dear,"
he said gently. "Have I tired you, or has your day disappointed you?"
But he was amazed when the girl turned her face to him, for he saw her
eyes were full of unshed tears.

"Oh no, it has been perfect--you and your friends have been so good to
me, Malcolm. It will be like a beautiful picture--the river and the
studio and the sunset. But why must pleasant things come to an end?"
And then she sighed, and said half to herself, "There will be no Wood
House or Crow's Nest for me;" and Anna's voice was so sad as she said
this that Malcolm felt quite a pang of pity cros