ng forward intently over the balcony rail, there seemed an unwonted
lack of purpose in his movements. Usually he struck out briskly in
the direction of the pastures where his prize Guernseys were feeding,
stopping on the way to pick up the manager of his farm. There are signs,
unknown to men, which women read, and Victoria felt her heart beating,
as she turned and entered the sitting room through the French window. A
trained nurse was softly closing the door of the bedroom on the right.

"Mrs. Flint is asleep," she said.

"I am going out for a little while, Miss Oliver," Victoria answered, and
the nurse returned a gentle smile of understanding.

Victoria, descending the stairs, hastily pinned on a hat which she kept
in the coat closet, and hurried across the lawn in the direction Mr.
Flint had taken. Reaching the pine grove, thinned by a famous landscape
architect, she paused involuntarily to wonder again at the ultramarine
of Sawanec through the upright columns of the trunks under the high
canopy of boughs. The grove was on a plateau, which was cut on the side
nearest the mountain by the line of a gray stone wall, under which
the land fell away sharply. Mr. Flint was seated on a bench, his hands
clasped across his stick, and as she came softly over the carpet of the
needles he did not hear her until she stood beside him.

"You didn't tell me that you were going for a walk," she said
reproachfully.

He started, and dropped his stick. She stooped quickly, picked it up for
him, and settled herself at his side.

"I--I didn't expect to go, Victoria," he answered.

"You see," she said, "it's useless to try to slip away. I saw you from
the balcony."

"How's your mother feeling?" he asked.

"She's asleep. She seems better to me since she's come back to
Fairview."

Mr. Flint stared at the mountain with unseeing eyes.

"Father," said Victoria, "don't you think you ought to stay up here at
least a week, and rest? I think so."

"No," he said, "no. There's a directors' meeting of a trust company
to-morrow which I have to attend. I'm not tired."

Victoria shook her head, smiling at him with serious eyes.

"I don't believe you know when you are tired," she declared. "I can't
see the good of all these directors' meetings. Why don't you retire, and
live the rest of your life in peace? You've got--money enough, and even
if you haven't," she added, with the little quiver of earnestness that
sometimes came into her voice,