ndeed it was this beauty, this longing to share
it, that had first started her off hankering.

Mr. Briggs, however, was too much alive for her to be able to spare any
attention at this moment for Frederick, and she praised the servants in
answer to his questions, and praised the yellow sitting-room without
telling him she had only been in it once and then was ignominiously
ejected, and she told him she knew hardly anything about art and
curiosities, but thought perhaps if somebody would tell her about them
she would know more, and she said she had spent every day since her
arrival out-of-doors, because out-of-doors there was so very wonderful
and different from anything she had ever seen.

Briggs walked by her side along his paths that were yet so
happily for the moment her paths, and felt all the innocent glows of
family life. He was an orphan and an only child, and had a warm,
domestic disposition. He would have adored a sister and spoilt a
mother, and was beginning at this time to think of marrying; for though
he had been very happy with his various loves, each of whom, contrary
to the usual experience, turned ultimately into his devoted friend, he
was fond of children and thought he had perhaps now got to the age of
settling if he did not wish to be too old by the time his eldest son
was twenty. San Salvatore had latterly seemed a little forlorn. He
fancied it echoed when he walked about it. He had felt lonely there;
so lonely that he had preferred this year to miss out a spring and let
it. It wanted a wife in it. It wanted that final touch of warmth and
beauty, for he never thought of his wife except in terms of warmth and
beauty--she would of course be beautiful and kind. It amused him how
much in love with this vague wife he was already.

At such a rate was he making friends with the lady with the sweet
name as he walked along the path towards the lighthouse, that he was
sure presently he would be telling her everything about himself and his
past doings and his future hopes; and the thought of such a swiftly
developing confidence made him laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, looking at him and smiling.

"It's so like coming home," he said.

"But it is coming home for you to come here."

"I mean really like coming home. To one's--one's family. I
never had a family. I'm an orphan."

"Oh, are you?" said Rose with the proper sympathy. "I hope
you've not been one very long. No--I don't mean