her."

The girl departed.

"Do let it be a 'jingle,' Ray," she begged, and then was gone.

"It's my damned brother," went on Raymond.

"He'll come round and ask you to go back, as soon as you're fixed up and
everything's all right."

"Everything won't be all right. Everything's confoundedly wrong. Think
what it is for a proud man to be at the mercy of an aunt, and to look to
her for his keep. If anything could make me sick of the whole show, it's
that."

"I shouldn't feel it so. She's keen on you, and keen on Sabina; and she
knows you can't live upon air. You may be sure also she knows that it
won't last. Daniel will come round."

"And if he does? It's all the same--taking his money."

"You won't be taking it; you'll be earning it."

"I hate him, like hell, and I hate the thought of working under him all
my life."

"You won't be under him. You've often said the time was coming when
you'd wipe Daniel's eye and show you were the moving spirit of the Mill.
Well now, when you go back, you must work double tides to do it."

"He may not take me back, and for many things I'd sooner he didn't. We
should never be the same to one another after that row. For two pins,
even now, I'd make a bolt, Arthur, and disappear altogether and go
abroad and carve out my own way."

"Don't talk rot. You can't do that."

But Waldron, in spite of his advice and sanguine prophecies, hid a grave
doubt at heart whether, so far as Raymond's own future was concerned,
such a course might not be the wisest. He felt confident, however, that
the younger man would keep his engagements. Raymond had plenty of pluck
and did not lack for a heart, so far as Waldron knew. Had Sabina been no
more than engaged, he must strongly have urged Raymond to drop her and
endure the harsh criticism that would have followed: for an engagement
broken appeared a lesser evil than an unhappy mating; but since the
position was complicated, he could not feel so and stoutly upheld the
marriage on principle, while extremely doubtful of its practical
outcome.

They talked for two hours to no purpose and then Estelle called them to
tea.

CHAPTER XXII

THE TELEGRAM

Raymond and Sabina spent a long afternoon at the house they had taken;
and while he was interested with the stables and garden, she occupied
herself indoors. She was very tired before they had finished, and
presently, returning to Bridport, they called at 'The Seven Stars' and
ordered tea.