s cheek still rested against Mrs Conolly's arm, and the warmth
that fired it penetrated the thin muslin of her blouse. She wondered a
little, but said nothing; and after a short pause Honor spoke in a low
voice and with an attempt at lightness which was not a conspicuous
success.

"You think too well of me, so does John. I have done little enough.
Only, I care very much for--them both, and I want them to be
happy--that's all."

"There are always two ways of stating a fact," the other answered,
smiling. "And--do you know, Honor, _I_ care very much for you--if you
were my own child, I could hardly care more--and, frankly, I want to
see _you_ happy in the same way." She laid her free hand over the two
that held her own. "It would be a sin for a woman like you not to
marry. I take it for granted you have had chances enough, and I have
sometimes wondered----"

The girl lifted her head and sat upright. She had come here to escape
her trouble, and it confronted her at every turn.

"Please--please don't begin wondering about that," she said
decisively, "or I shall have to get up and go away; and I don't want
to do that."

"No, no! my child, of course not. We will talk of other things."

But the shrewd woman said within herself: "There _is_ some one after
all," adding a heartfelt hope that it might be Major Wyndham. Thus her
next remark was more relevant to the forbidden subject than Honor was
likely to guess.

"I hear Major Wyndham's squadron remains behind. You are glad, I
suppose? You seem to be good friends."

"Yes; it will be a great comfort to have him when one will be
missing--all the rest. There are very few men in the world like Major
Wyndham; don't you think so? He has the rare secret of being in it,
yet not of it. I sometimes wonder whether anything could really upset
that self-contained tranquillity of his, which makes him such a
restful companion."

Here was high praise, and Mrs Jim echoed it heartily; yet in spite of
it, perhaps because of it, she was far from content. "It is not Major
Wyndham," she decided, regretfully. "But then,--who else is it likely
to be?"

At this moment children's voices sounded in the garden and Honor
sprang impulsively to her feet. "Oh, there are Jimmy and Violet!" she
cried. "Let me go and be foolish with them for a little and give them
their tea. We can play at wisdom again afterwards--you and I."

With that she hurried out into the garden; and in surrendering herself
to