all square."

"No," said Cicely. "I hate the country."

"What!" exclaimed the Squire.

"It's so dreadfully dull," said Cicely. "There's nothing in the world to
do."

"But this is a revolt!" said Dick.

"Nothing to do!" echoed the Squire, in a voice of impatient censure.
"There's everything to do. Don't talk nonsense, Cicely. You have got to
live in the country whether you like it or not, so you had better make
the best of it."

"Very sound advice," said Mr. Birket. "I follow it myself. It may
surprise the company, but I'm for the country. Cows enrapture me, and as
for the buttercups, there's no flower like 'em."

"Town has it," said Dick. "Seven to six--a very close match."

* * * * *

When Mr. and Mrs. Birket were alone together that night, Mr. Birket
said, "My dear, I think Edward Clinton gets more intolerable every time
I see him. I hope I have succeeded in disguising that opinion."

"Perfectly, Herbert," said his wife. "And you must please continue to do
so for Nina's sake."

Mr. Birket sighed. "Poor dear Nina!" he said. "She was so bright as a
girl. If she hadn't married that dunderhead she'd have been a happy
woman. I bet she isn't now. He has crushed every bit of initiative out
of her. And I'll tell you what, my dear, he'll crush it out of Cicely if
she doesn't get away from these deadly surroundings. Heavens, what a
life for a clever girl!"

"Do you think Cicely clever?"

"She doesn't know anything, because they have never let her learn
anything. But she thinks for herself, and she's beginning to kick at it
all. If she'd had the chances our girls have had, she'd have made use of
them. Can't we give her a chance, Emmeline? She's a particularly nice
girl. Have her up to London for a month or two. The girls are fond of
her--and you're fond of her too, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm very fond of her," said Mrs. Birket.

"Well--then, why not?"

"Do you think Edward would let her come?"

"My private opinion of Edward would probably surprise him, if he could
hear it, but I don't think even he would go so far as to deny his
children a pleasure so long as it didn't put him out personally."

"Well, I'll ask, if you like. I should be very glad to have her. But
some one might fall in love with her, you know, Herbert. She's very
pretty, and there's always the chance."

"And why on earth not? He doesn't want to keep her an old maid, does
he?"

"He wants her to marry Jim Graha