t.

'Thank you, Miss Trent.'

She brought him sugar and milk. This was quite her own idea. 'Some
people don't take sugar, some don't take milk; so you ought to let them
help themselves to such things.' He took both. She noticed his hand,
how shapely it was, how beautiful the finger-nails were. And then he
looked at her with a smile of thanks, not more than of thanks. Could
anyone convey thanks more graciously?

'I hope,' Egremont said, turning to Gilbert as he stirred his tea,
'that we shall get our first books on the shelves by the first day of
next month.'

Grail made no reply, and all were silent for a little.

The visitor did not remain much longer. To the end he was animated in
his talk, making his friends feel as much at their ease as he was
himself. When he was about to depart, he said to Thyrza:

'I hope you will have a fine day to-morrow. There is promise of it.'

'Oh, I think it'll be fine,' she replied. 'It would be too cruel if it
wasn't!'

Surely--thought Egremont as he smiled--to you if to any one the sky
should show a glad face. How many a time thereafter did he think of
those words--'It would be too cruel!' She could not believe that
fortune would be unkind to her; she had faith in the undiscovered day.

CHAPTER XVI

SEA MUSIC

Returning to the upper room, Thyrza sat down as if she were very tired.

'No, I don't want anything to eat,' she said to Lydia. 'I shall go to
bed at once. We must be up very early in the morning.'

Still she made no preparations. Her mirth and excitement were at an
end. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and one of her hands hung down by the
side of the chair. Lydia showed no extreme desire for an account of the
proceedings below. Yes, Thyrza said, she had enjoyed herself. And
presently:

'Mr. Egremont says he wants to begin putting up the books by the first
of May.'

'Did he say when the house would be ready?'

Thyrza shook her head. Then:

'He told us about foreign countries. He's been everywhere.'

'Gilbert told me he had been to America.'

'Lyddy, is Canada the same as America?'

'I believe it is,' said the other doubtfully. 'I think it is a part.
America's a very big country, you know.'

'What do you think Gilbert says? He says Mr. Ackroyd told him last
night that he was going to Canada.'

Lydia gave no sign of special interest.

'Is he?'

'I don't think he means it.'

'Perhaps he'll take Totty Nancarrow with him,' remarked Lydia, with a