took her in his arms, and she nestled there, laughing and crying by
turns, but happier than she had ever thought she could be. They talked
of a great many things, but not again of Cicely's flight. Jim had
banished that spectre, which, if it returned to haunt her thoughts
again, would not affright them. They came no nearer to it than a speech
of Cicely's, "I do love you, dear Jim. I love you so much that I must
have loved you all the time without knowing it. I feel as if there was
something in you that I could rest on and know that it will never give
way."

"And that's exactly how I feel about you," said Jim.

Two swans sailed out into the middle of the lake, creasing the still
water into tiny ripples. The air was hot and calm, and the heavy leaves
of trees and shrubs hung motionless. The singing-birds were silent. Only
in the green shade were the hearts of the two lovers in tumult--a tumult
of gratitude and confident happiness.

The peace, but not the happiness, was brought to an end when the twins,
relaxed from bondage, heralded their approach by a vociferous rendering
of "The Campbells are coming." They came round the temple arm-in-arm.
Cicely was drawing, and Jim looking on.

"Yes, that's all very well," said Joan, "but it doesn't take two hours
to make three pencil scratches."

"Girls without the nice feeling that we possess," said Nancy, "would
have burst upon you without warning."

"Without giving you time to set to partners," said Joan.

Cicely looked up at them; her face was full of light. "Shall I tell
them, Jim?" she said.

"Got to, I suppose," said Jim.

"My child," said Joan, "you need tell us nothing."

"Your happy faces tell us all," said Nancy.

Then, with a simultaneous relapse into humanity, they threw themselves
upon her affectionately, and afterwards attacked Jim in the same way. He
bore it with equanimity.

"You don't deserve her, Jim," said Joan, "but we trust you to be kind to
her."

"From this day onwards," said Nancy, "you will begin a new life."

_CHRONICLES OF THE CLINTONS_

BY ARCHIBALD MARSHALL

_To be read in the following order_

THE SQUIRE'S DAUGHTER
THE ELDEST SON
THE HONOUR OF THE CLINTONS
THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH
THE CLINTONS, AND OTHERS

End of Project Gutenberg's The Squire's Daughter, by Archibald Marshall

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SQUIRE'S DAUGHTER ***

***** This file should be named 31381.txt or 3138