ith a comfortable air of closing the subject, and no more
was said at the time. But both she and Mrs. Adams were a little uneasy
two or three days later, when, returning from a motor trip, they saw
Mrs. Burgoyne standing at the Thornes' gate, in laughing conversation
with pretty little Katherine and her angular, tall mother.

"And there is nothing in that story at all," said Mrs. Burgoyne later,
to Mrs. Carew.

"I suppose you walked up and said, 'If you are Miss Thorne, you are
clandestinely meeting Joe Turner down by the old mill every week!'"
laughed Mrs. Carew.

"I managed it very nicely," Mrs. Burgoyne said, "I admired their yellow
rose one day, as I passed the gate. Mrs. Thorne was standing there, and
I asked if it wasn't a Banksia. Then the little girl came out of the
house, and she happened to know who I am--"

"Astonishingly bright child!" said Mrs. Carew.

"Well, and then we talked roses, and the father came home--a nice old
man. And I asked him if he'd lend me Miss Thorne now and then to play
duets--and he agreed. So the child's been up to the Hall once or twice,
and she's a nice little thing. She doesn't care tuppence for the Turner
boy, but he's musical, and she's quite music-mad, and now and then they
'accidentally' meet. Her father won't let anyone see her at the house.
She wants to study abroad, but they can't afford it, I imagine, so I've
written to see if I can interest a friend of mine in Berlin--But why do
you smile?" she broke off to ask innocently.

"At the thought of your friend in Berlin!" said Mrs. Carew audaciously.
For she was not at all awed by Mrs. Burgoyne now.

Indeed, she and Mrs. Brown were growing genuinely fond of their new
neighbor, and the occupants of the Hall supplied them with constant
amusement and interest. Great lady and great heiress Sidney Burgoyne
might be, but she lived a life far simpler than their own, and loved to
have them come in for a few minutes' talk even if she were cutting out
cookies, with Joanna and Ellen leaning on the table, or feeding the
chickens whose individual careers interested her so deeply. She walked
with the little girls to school every morning, and met them near the
school at one o'clock. In the meantime she made a visit to the Mail
office, and perhaps spent an hour or two there, or in the markets; but
at least three times a week she wandered over to Old Paloma, and spent
the forenoon in the dingy streets across the river. What she did there,