, feeling like a conspirator,
"she would have had one every year."

"That gives one something to think about--yes," said Uncle Alfred, doing
his share. He was astonished at himself. He had spent the greater part
of his life in avoiding relationships which might hamper him and already
he was in league with these young people and finding pleasure in the
situation.

Miriam was looking at him darkly, mischievously, from the hearthrug.
"Tomorrow," she said, resting on the word, "I'll take you for a walk to
see the sights. There are rabbits, sheep, new lambs, very white and
lively, a hare if we're lucky, ponies, perhaps, if we go far enough.
We've all these things on the moor. Oh," her grimace missed foolishness
by the hair's breadth which fortune always meted to her, "it's a
wonderful place. Will you come with me?"

He nodded with a guilty quickness. "What are these ponies?"

"Little wild ones, with long tails."

"I'm fond of horses," he said and immediately looked ashamed of the
confession. "Ha, ha, 'um," he half hummed, trying to cloak
embarrassment.

"I'm fond of all animals," Miriam said with loud bitterness, "but we are
only allowed to have a cat."

"Hens," Rupert reminded her.

"They're not animals; they're idiots."

"Would you like to keep a cow in the garden?" Mildred Caniper enquired
in the pleasantly cold tones which left Miriam powerless.

Uncle Alfred's tuneless humming began again. "Yes, fond of horses," he
said vaguely, his eyes quick on woman and girl.

"And can you ride?" Miriam asked politely, implying that it was not
necessary for the whole family to be ill-mannered.

"I've had to--yes, but I don't care about it. No, I like to look at
them."

"We rode when we were children," his sister said.

"Hung on."

"Well, yes."

Miriam would not encourage these reminiscences, so belated on the part
of her stepmother. "We have a neighbour who grows horses," she said.
"And he's a wonderful rider. Rupert, don't you think he'd like to show
them to Uncle Alfred? On Saturday afternoon, couldn't you take him to
the farm?"

"But I'm going on Saturday," Uncle Alfred interposed.

"Saturday! And today's Thursday! Oh!"

"At least I think so," he said weakly.

Secretly she shook her head at him. "No, no," she signed, and said
aloud, "A Sunday in the country--"

"No place of worship within four miles," Rupert announced.

"Ah," Uncle Alfred said with a gleam of humour, "that's distinctly
cheering."