is as Pauline would have wished. There was all that happy
scene and a new quartet for her mother; and for Guy and herself there
was a long walk this afternoon to wherever they wanted to go.

At the beginning of the week Monica and Margaret went away on a visit,
to which they set out with the usual lamentations now redoubled because
they suddenly realized it was universal holiday time. With her two
eldest daughters away from the Rectory, Mrs. Grey was no match for
Pauline; so she and Guy had a week of freedom, wandering over the
country where they willed.

Wychford down saw them, and the water-meadows of the western valley. The
road to Fairfield knew their footsteps, and they even went to tea with
Mr. and Mrs. Ford, who talked of Richard out in India and bemoaned the
inferiority of their garden to the Rector's. They wandered by treeless
roads that led to the hills, and to the grassy solitudes that seemed
made to be walked over hand in hand. Once they went as far as the forest
of Wych, a wild woodland that lay remote from any village and where
along the glades myriads of primroses stared at them. Yet, though that
day had seemed to Pauline almost more delicately fair than any of their
days, it ended dismally with April in black misfeature, and before they
reached home they were wet through.

By ill luck her mother met her just as she was hurrying up to her room.

"Pauline," she said, with a good deal of agitation, "I must forbid these
walks with Guy every day. Wet to the skin! Oh dear, how careless of him
to take you so far! You must be reasonable and unselfish. It's so
difficult for me. Father asked where you were this afternoon, and I had
to pretend to be deaf. He notices more than you think. Now really Guy
must not come for a week, and there must be no more walks."

Guy, however, came the next afternoon, and not only was he reproved by
Mrs. Grey for yesterday's disaster, but actually he and Pauline were
allowed only a quarter of an hour together in the garden.

"I'll go into Oxford for a week," said Guy, with inspiration. "And then
we sha'n't be tempted to see each other this week, and if we don't see
each other this week, perhaps next week we shall be able to go out
again. Besides, I want to make arrangements about bringing the canoe
down. My friend Fane has wired to me to go and stay with him. He's up
for the Easter vac, working. Shall I go?"

Pauline wanted to say no, but she was, even after all these walks, st