riment shook the billows
of her mighty person.

Estelle found herself somewhat depressed as she went home. Not so much
the words as the general spirit of these comments chilled her. After
luncheon she visited her father's study and talked to him while he
smoked.

"What perfectly beautiful thing can I get for Ray and Sabina for a
wedding present?"

He cleaned his pipe with one of the crow's feathers Estelle was used to
collect for him. They stood in vases on the mantel-shelf.

"It's a puzzler," confessed Arthur Waldron.

"D'you think Ray has grown bad-tempered, father?"

"Do you?"

"No, I'm sure I don't. He is a little different, but that's because he's
going to be married. No doubt people do get a little different, then.
But Nancy Buckler at the Mill said she thought the best wedding present
for him would be a new temper."

"That's the sort of insolent things people say, I suppose, behind his
back. It's all very unfortunate in my opinion, Estelle."

"It's frightfully unfortunate Ray leaving us, because, after he's
married, he must have a house of his own; but it isn't unfortunate his
marrying Sabina, I'm sure."

"I'm not sure at all," confessed her father. His opinion always carried
the greatest weight, and she was so much concerned at this announcement
that Arthur felt sorry he had spoken.

"You see, Estelle--how can I explain? I think Ray in rather too young to
marry."

"He's well over twenty."

"Yes, but he's young for his age, and the things that he is keen about
are not the things that a girl is keen about. I doubt if he will make
Sabina happy."

"He will if he likes, and I'm sure he will like. He can always make me
happy, so, of course, he can make Sabina. He's really tremendously
clever and knows all sorts of things. Oh, don't think it's going to be
sad, father. I'm sure they're both much too wise to do anything that's
going to be sad. Because if Ray--"

She stopped, for Raymond himself came in. He had left early that morning
to seek a house with Sabina.

"What luck?" said Waldron.

"We've found something that'll do, I think. Two miles out towards
Chidcock. A garden and a decent paddock and a stable. But he'll have to
spend some money on the stable. There's a doubt if he will--the
landlord, I mean. Sabina likes the house, so I hope it will be all
right."

Waldron nodded.

"If it's Thornton, the horse-dealer, he'll do what you want. He's got
houses up there."

"It isn't. I haven't see