nt."

This sounded depressing, but Mr. Walrond found that it had a bright
side.

"At any rate, he won't be shot like so many poor fellows; also he has
been in several of the big battles and will be promoted. I look upon him
as a made man. He'll soon shake off his cold in his native air----"

"And we shall have a real wounded hero in the village," said one of the
girls.

"He isn't a wounded hero," answered Janey, "he's only got a chill."

"Well, that's as bad as wounded, dear, and I am sure he would have been
wounded if he could." And so on.

"When are you going back to Cambridge, Anthony?" asked Mrs. Walrond
presently.

"To-morrow morning, I am sorry to say," he answered, and Barbara's face
fell at his words. "You see, I go up for my degree this summer term,
and my father is very anxious that I should take high honours in
mathematics. He says that it will give me a better standing in the Bar.
So I must begin work at once with a tutor before term, for there's no
one near here who can help me."

"No," said Mr. Walrond. "If it had been classics now, with a little
refurbishing perhaps I might. But mathematics are beyond me."

"Barbara should teach him," suggested one of the little girls slyly.
"She's splendid at Rule of Three."

"Which is more than you are," said Mrs. Walrond in severe tones, "who
always make thirteen out of five and seven. Barbara, love, you are
looking very tired. All this noise is too much for you, you must go
and lie down at once in your own room. No, not on the sofa, in your own
room. Now say good-bye to Anthony and go."

So Barbara, who was really tired, though with a happy weariness, did as
she was bid. Her hand met Anthony's and lingered there for a little,
her violet eyes met his brown eyes and lingered there a little; her lips
spoke some few words of commonplace farewell. Then staying a moment to
take the violets from the cracked vase, and another moment to kiss her
father as she passed him, she walked, or rather glided from the room
with the graceful movement that was peculiar to her, and lo! at once
for Anthony it became a very emptiness. Moreover, he grew aware of the
hardness of his wooden seat and that the noise of the girls was making
his head ache. So presently he too rose and departed.

CHAPTER III

AUNT MARIA

Six months or so had gone by and summer reigned royally at Eastwich,
for thus was the parish named of which the Reverend Septimus Walrond
had spiritual charge