nks it is a shame that Walter should take you there."

"O my dear," said Muriel, with a trifle of impatience, "you know quite
well what I think about all that sort of thing. We have talked it over
hundreds of times. Here we are, stuck down in the middle of all this,
with nothing in the world to do but amuse ourselves, if we can, and
never any chance of pushing along. We have _got_ it all; there is
nothing to go for. That's what I first admired about my darling old
Walter. He struck out a line of his own. If he had been content just to
lop over the fence into Kencote Rectory, I don't think I should ever
have fallen in love with him. I don't know, though. He _is_ the sweetest
old dear."

"Oh, don't begin about Walter," urged Cicely.

"Yes, I will begin about Walter," replied Muriel, "and I'll go on with
Walter. He says now that the only thing he is really keen about--except
me--is his work. He always liked it, in a way, but when he made up his
mind to be a doctor it was only because he knew he must have some
profession, and he thought he might as well have one that interested
him. But now it takes up all his thoughts, except when he comes down
here for a holiday, and you know how the old pet enjoys his holidays.
Well, I'm going to do all I can to help him to get on. He says this
practice at Melbury Park is just what he wants, to get his hand in; he
won't be worried with a lot of people who aren't really ill at all, but
have to be kept in a good humour in case they should go off to another
doctor. It will be hard, sound work, and he will be in touch with the
hospital all the time. He is immensely keen about it. I don't want to
say anything against Mr. Clinton, but why _can't_ he see that Walter is
worth all the rest of your brothers put together, because he has set out
to do something and they are just having a good time?"

"Oh, well, Muriel, I can't allow that," said Cicely. "Dick is quite a
good soldier. He got his D.S.O. in the war. And besides, his real work
is to look after the property, and he knows as much about that as
father. And Humphrey _has_ to go about a lot. You must, in the Foreign
Office. And Frank--he is doing all right. He was made doggy to his
Admiral only the other day."

"Well, at any rate," replied Muriel, "they start from what they are. And
you can't say that their chief aim isn't to have a good time. Walter has
gone in against men who _have_ to work, whether they want to or not, and
he has done