wen, who had reached his legal majority two years before, and
was soon to attain the age fixed for the taking over of his paternal
inheritance, the arrival of this date would reduce his step-mother's
responsibility to a friendly concern for his welfare. This made for the
prompt realization of Darrow's wishes, and there seemed no reason why
the marriage should not take place within the six weeks that remained of
his leave.

They passed out of the wood-walk into the open brightness of the garden.
The noon sunlight sheeted with gold the bronze flanks of the polygonal
yews. Chrysanthemums, russet, saffron and orange, glowed like the
efflorescence of an enchanted forest; belts of red begonia purpling to
wine-colour ran like smouldering flame among the borders; and above
this outspread tapestry the house extended its harmonious length, the
soberness of its lines softened to grace in the luminous misty air.

Darrow stood still, and Anna felt that his glance was travelling from
her to the scene about them and then back to her face.

"You're sure you're prepared to give up Givre? You look so made for each
other!"

"Oh, Givre----" She broke off suddenly, feeling as if her too careless
tone had delivered all her past into his hands; and with one of her
instinctive movements of recoil she added: "When Owen marries I shall
have to give it up."

"When Owen marries? That's looking some distance ahead! I want to be
told that meanwhile you'll have no regrets."

She hesitated. Why did he press her to uncover to him her poor starved
past? A vague feeling of loyalty, a desire to spare what could no
longer harm her, made her answer evasively: "There will probably be no
'meanwhile.' Owen may marry before long."

She had not meant to touch on the subject, for her step-son had sworn
her to provisional secrecy; but since the shortness of Darrow's leave
necessitated a prompt adjustment of their own plans, it was, after all,
inevitable that she should give him at least a hint of Owen's.

"Owen marry? Why, he always seems like a faun in flannels! I hope he's
found a dryad. There might easily be one left in these blue-and-gold
woods."

"I can't tell you yet where he found his dryad, but she IS one, I
believe: at any rate she'll become the Givre woods better than I do.
Only there may be difficulties----"

"Well! At that age they're not always to be wished away."

She hesitated. "Owen, at any rate, has made up his mind to overcome
them;