ho declared that he declined to discuss any
such disagreeable topic. But now, sensitively conscious that she had
troubled Elisabeth's peace in some way, she decided to make definite
arrangements regarding her immediate future.

She was agreeably surprised, when she propounded her idea, to find Mrs.
Durward seemed quite as unwilling to part with her as were both her
husband and son. Apparently the alteration in her manner, with its
curiously augmented reticence, was no indication of any personal
antipathy, and Sara felt proportionately relieved, although somewhat
mystified.

"We shall all miss you," averred Elisabeth, and there was absolute
sincerity in her tones. "I don't see why you need be in such a hurry to
run away from us." And Geoffrey and Tim chorused approval.

Sara beamed upon them all with humid eyes.

"It's dear of you to want me to stay with you," she declared. "But,
don't you see, I _must_ live my own life--have a roof-tree of my own? I
can't just sit down comfortably in the shade of yours."

"Pushful young woman!" chaffed Geoffrey. "Well, I can see your mind is
made up. So what are your plans? Let's hear them."

"I thought of taking rooms for a while with some really nice
people--gentlefolk who wanted to take a paying guest--"

"Poor but honest, in fact," supplemented Geoffrey.

Sara nodded.

"Yes. You see"--smiling--"you people have spoiled me for living alone,
and as I'm really rather a solitary individual, I must find a little
niche for myself somewhere." She unfolded a letter she was holding. "I
thought I should like to go near the sea--to some quite tiny country
place at the back of beyond. And I think I've found just the thing. I
saw an advertisement for a paying guest--of the female persuasion--so
I replied to it, and I've just had an answer to my letter. It's from a
doctor man--a Dr. Selwyn, at Monkshaven--who has an invalid wife and one
daughter, and he writes such an original kind of epistle that I'm sure I
should like him."

Geoffrey held out his hand for the letter, running his eyes down its
contents, while his wife, receiving an assenting nod from Sara in
response to her "May I?" looked over his shoulder.

Only Tim appeared to take no interest in the matter, but remained
standing rather aloof, staring out of the window, his back to the trio
grouped around the hearth.

"'Household . . . myself, wife, one daughter,'" muttered Geoffrey.
"Um-um--'quarter of a mile from the sea'--um-