had the good sense to take her mother
and Flossie into his confidence: she knew she could trust them to
preserve him from any serious mistakes.

'You see,' said George, half apologetically, 'I would ever so much
rather have waited till you came back, only I couldn't tell when that
would be. I really couldn't help myself. You're sure you don't mind
about it? If you only knew how I worked over it, rushing about from one
place to another, as soon as I could get away from the office, picking
up bits of furniture here and there, standing over those beggars of
painters and keeping 'em at it, and working out estimates and seeing
foremen and managers and all kinds of chaps! I used to get home
dead-tired of an evening; but I didn't mind that: I felt it was all
bringing you nearer to me, darling, and that made everything a
pleasure!'

There was such honest affection in his look and voice; he had so
evidently intended to please her, and had been in such manifest dread of
any further separation from her, that she was completely disarmed.

'Dear George,' she said gently, 'I am so sorry you took all the trouble
on yourself; it was very, very good of you to care so much, and I know I
shall be delighted with the house.'

'Well,' said George, 'I'm not much afraid about that, because I expect
our tastes are pretty much the same in most things.'

They were by this time at the house, and George, after a little fumbling
with his as yet unfamiliar latchkey, threw open the door with a flourish
and said, 'There you are, little woman! Walk in and you'll see what you
shall see!'

No sooner was Ella inside the hall than her heart sank: 'Looks neat and
nice, doesn't it?' said George cheerfully. 'You'd almost take that paper
for real marble, wouldn't you? See how well they've done those veins. I
like this yellowish colour better than green, don't you? It looks so
cool in summer. That's a good strong hall-lamp--not what you call high
art, exactly--but gives a rattling good light, and that's the main
thing. Here, I'll light it up for you--confound it! they haven't turned
the gas on yet. However, there's too much sunshine for it to show much,
if they had. This linoleum is a capital thing: you might scrub as long
as you liked and you'd never get _that_ pattern out!'

'No,' Ella agreed, with a tragic little smile, 'it--it looks as if it
would last.'

'Last! I should just think so! And here's a hatstand--you could almost
swear it was carved woo