oo.
No--no, Herrick is right: we will mend the holes and lay down fresh
flooring where it is absolutely necessary, and do any cleaning and
painting that are required, but the rest can keep for a while; the
parlours and two decent bedrooms are all we shall require." And then
they went off to see the dairy.

They drove into Donnarton after an early dinner; but on arriving at the
lawyer's Elizabeth suddenly remarked that they were far too large a
party, and that she meant to do a little sight-seeing on her own
account. So, as they knew of old that it was useless to argue with her,
they went inside, and from over the wire blind in the dingy front room
Malcolm watched her crossing the butter market in the direction of the
ancient churchyard that skirted one side of it.

It troubled him to hear a bell toll as she passed through the little
gate, and a moment later a funeral procession, following a small
coffin, evidently of a child, climbed slowly up the steps.

After that he resigned himself to a long, tedious hour. The room was
hot and airless, the lawyer very prosy and unnecessarily fluent; but he
seemed a straightforward, honest man, and gave them good counsel.
Malcolm was soon put into possession of all the Strickland bequest, and
after this it was all plain sailing.

The land was good, and though the farm had deteriorated, a little
judicious management and a moderate outlay would soon put things on a
different footing. This was Mr. Atkins's opinion; he had himself
suggested that a partner with some capital should be found.

Some final arrangements were made after this; then Cedric suggested
that they should have tea at the inn, and Malcolm volunteered to go in
search of Elizabeth.

He felt sure that he should find her still in the churchyard, and he
was right. She was standing near one of those dreary monuments which
affectionate relatives loved to raise to their departed friends in the
early Victorian era. There was old Time with his beard and scythe, a
broken column, veiled mourners and a dejected-looking cherub, and the
stiff funereal urn; but Elizabeth was looking at a cluster of grassy
mounds under a yew tree, with simple headstones, and here and there a
cross. She looked up at Malcolm with a quiet smile.

"Have they sent you to find me?" she asked. "It is so nice and peaceful
here; I like to think of all those tired workers resting after their
labours--their work done."

"I think you make a mistake there,