, trying
mechanically to find the bird caught at intervals amongst its
brown-and-green foliage--one bird in each alternate square of the
pattern, so that there was always a bird in the centre of four other
birds. And the bird was of green and yellow with a red beak.

On being turned out of the nursery with the assurance that it was "all
right--only a little faint," Fiorsen went down-stairs disconsolate. The
atmosphere of this dark house where he was a stranger, an unwelcome
stranger, was insupportable. He wanted nothing in it but Gyp, and Gyp
had fainted at his touch. No wonder he felt miserable. He opened a
door. What room was this? A piano! The drawing-room. Ugh! No
fire--what misery! He recoiled to the doorway and stood listening. Not
a sound. Grey light in the cheerless room; almost dark already in the
hall behind him. What a life these English lived--worse than the winter
in his old country home in Sweden, where, at all events, they kept good
fires. And, suddenly, all his being revolted. Stay here and face that
father--and that image of a servant! Stay here for a night of this! Gyp
was not his Gyp, lying there with that baby beside her, in this hostile
house. Smothering his footsteps, he made for the outer hall. There were
his coat and hat. He put them on. His bag? He could not see it. No
matter! They could send it after him. He would write to her--say that
her fainting had upset him--that he could not risk making her faint
again--could not stay in the house so near her, yet so far. She would
understand. And there came over him a sudden wave of longing. Gyp! He
wanted her. To be with her! To look at her and kiss her, and feel her
his own again! And, opening the door, he passed out on to the drive and
strode away, miserable and sick at heart. All the way to the station
through the darkening lanes, and in the railway carriage going up, he
felt that aching wretchedness. Only in the lighted street, driving back
to Rosek's, did he shake it off a little. At dinner and after, drinking
that special brandy he nearly lost it; but it came back when he went to
bed, till sleep relieved him with its darkness and dreams.

XII

Gyp's recovery proceeded at first with a sure rapidity which delighted
Winton. As the economic agent pointed out, she was beautifully made, and
that had a lot to do with it!

Before Christmas Day, she was already out, and on Christmas morning the
old doctor, by wa