kind
eyes. He understood. Then he opened Jan's letter and read it through
quite a number of times.

"Dear Mr. Ledgard," it ran.

"Whatever Mr. Kipling may say of the Celt, the lowland Scot finds it
very difficult to express strong feeling in words. If I had tried to
tell you, face to face, how sensible I am of your kindness and
consideration for us during the last sad weeks--I should have cried. You
would have been desperately uncomfortable and I--miserably ashamed of
myself. So I can only try to write something of my gratitude.

"We have been your guests so long and your hospitality has been so
untiring in circumstances sad and strange enough to try the patience of
the kindest host, that I simply cannot express my sense of obligation;
an obligation in no wise burdensome because you have always contrived to
make me feel that you took pleasure in doing all you have done.

"I wish there had been something belonging to my sister that I could
have begged you to accept as a remembrance of her; but everything she
had of the smallest value has disappeared--even her books. When I get
home I hope to give you one of my father's many portraits of her, but I
will not send it till I know whether you are coming home this summer.
Please remember, should you do so, as I sincerely hope you will, that
nowhere can there be a warmer welcome for you than at Wren's End. It
would be the greatest possible pleasure for the children and me to see
you there, and it is a good place to slack in and get strong. And there
I hope to challenge you to the round of golf we never managed during my
time in India.

"Please try to realise, dear Mr. Ledgard, that my sense of your kindness
is deep and abiding, and, believe me, yours, in most true gratitude,

"JANET ROSS."

For a long time Peter sat very still, staring at the cheerful,
highly-coloured face painted on Fay's ball. Cigarette after cigarette
did he smoke as he reviewed the experience of the last six weeks.

For the first time since he became a man he had been constantly in the
society of a woman younger than himself who appeared too busy and too
absorbed in other things to remember that she was a woman and he a man.

Peter was ordinarily susceptible, and he was rather a favourite with
women because of his good manners; and his real good-nature made him
ready to help either in any social project that happened to be towards
or in times of domest