u know; as far as she can. She has turned
vegetarian, of course. To tell you the truth, Warburton, it vexes me a
good deal. I didn't think Milligan could do such a silly thing. I hope
he'll get married quickly. Just at present, the fact is, he isn't quite
himself."

Again Warburton was subdued by laughter.

"Well, I thought things might have been happening whilst I was away,"
he said, "and I wasn't mistaken. Luckily, I have come back with a
renewed gusto for the shop. By the bye, I'm going to keep that secret
no longer. I'm a grocer, and probably shall be a grocer all my life,
and the sooner people know it the better. I'm sick of hiding away. Tell
Milligan the story; it will amuse Miss Parker, And, talking of Miss
Parker, do you know that Norbert Franks is married? His old love--Miss
Elvan. Of course it was the sensible thing to do. They're off to Tyrol.
As soon as I have their address, I shall write and tell him all about
Jollyman's."

"Of course, if you really feel you must," said Godfrey, with
reluctance. "But remember that I still hope to recover the money. Old
Strangwyn has the reputation of being an honourable man--"

"Like Brutus," broke in Warburton, cheerfully. "Let us hope. Of course
we will hope. Hope springs eternal--"

Days went by, and at length the desired letter came back from St. Jean
de Luz. Seeing at a glance that it was from his sister, Will reproached
himself for having let more than a month elapse without writing to St.
Neots. Of his recent "holiday" he had no intention of saying a word.
Jane wrote a longer letter than usual, and its tenor was disquieting.
Their mother had not been at all well lately; Jane noticed that she was
becoming very weak. "You know how she dreads to give trouble, and
cannot bear to have any one worry about her. She has seen Dr. Edge
twice in the last few days, but not in my presence, and I feel sure
that she has forbidden him to tell me the truth about her. I dare not
let her guess how anxious I am, and have to go on in my usual way, just
doing what I can for her comfort. If you would come over for a day, I
should feel very glad. Not having seen mother for some time, you would
be better able than I to judge how she looks." After reading this
Will's self-reproaches were doubled. At once he set off for St. Neots.

On arriving at The Haws, he found Jane gardening, and spoke with her
before he went in to see his mother.

He had been away from home, he said, and her lett