riends, bless you. But you may as well give
that idea up, once and for ever. Grandmother and I--the old and the new
generation, you know. There's never been anything but war and never will
be. Besides, she's never forgiven me for marrying Roddy, although she
arranged it all."

"Oh! my dear!" said Uncle John.

"No, it is so. I shouldn't be astonished," she continued bitterly, "if I
were to hear that she thinks that I flung Roddy from his horse and
trampled on him. It would be quite likely."

Then, suddenly, she came back from the window to the sofa where Uncle
John, looking greatly distressed, was sitting. She leaned down, put her
arms round his neck and her cheek next to his.

"Uncle John dear. Don't you worry about grandmother and me. That's an
old, old story and it can't alter. The case of us two, you and me, is
much more important. I've been a beast, for a long time, Uncle John.
We've got away from one another somehow and it's all been my fault. I've
been a prig and all sorts of horrid things, and I've let things come
between us. Nothing shall ever come between us again--never."

He kissed her and his fat body thrilled with happiness. Amongst all the
distressing things that this last year had brought him, nothing had been
more distressing than his separation from Rachel; now the old Rachel had
come back to him again.

They sat on the sofa there and he talked of a number of things in his
old happy, disconnected way. Some of her apprehension lifted from
Rachel, she forgot the closeness of the day and sat there, happier than
she had been for many weeks. Six o'clock struck and he got up to go.

"Taking your aunt out to dinner. You going anywhere to-night, my dear?"

"Yes. It's such a nuisance, but Roddy insists on my going. I'd so much
rather stay with him. It's only a silly little dinner at Lady Carloes'.
She's asked a harpist in afterwards! Fancy, harpist!"

But Uncle John liked Lady Carloes. She was an old friend of his. "Don't
laugh at Lady Carloes, dear. She's a kind creature, and been a friend of
the family's for ever so long--a devoted friend."

He stopped suddenly. "By the way, something I meant to have told you."
He dropped his voice. "You needn't say anything about it and I don't
want to worry your grandmother. I'm afraid she wouldn't like it. But the
black sheep is to be restored to the fold."

"The black sheep?" said Rachel, wondering.

"Yes," said Uncle John. "Your Cousin Frank Breton, my dear.