satisfactorily
arranged." Then he looked about rather vacantly, for his mind, it was
clear, was far away, and added, "Do you want: I mean, were you talking
about the new drainage mill for the salt marshes?" Mary interrupted and
explained.

"Yes, yes; how stupid of me! I am afraid I am getting a little deaf,
and this air makes me so sleepy in the morning. Now, just tell me again,
what is it?"

Mary explained further.

"Morris to go and see about it. Well, why shouldn't he? It doesn't take
long to get home nowadays. Not but that we shall be sorry to lose you,
my dear boy; or, at least, one of us will be sorry," and he tried to
wink in his old jovial fashion, and chuckled feebly.

Mary saw and sighed; while the Colonel shook his head portentously.
Nobody could play the part of Job's comforter to greater perfection.

The end of it was that, after a certain space of hesitation, Morris
agreed to go. This "menage" at Beaulieu oppressed him, and he hated the
place. Besides, Mary, seeing that he was worried, almost insisted on his
departure.

"If I want you back I will send for you," she said. "Go to your work,
dear; you will be happier."

So he kissed her fondly and went--as he was fated to go.

"Good-bye, my dear son," said Mr. Porson--sometimes he called him his
son, now. "I hope that I shall see you again soon, and if I don't, you
will be kind to my daughter Mary, won't you? You understand, everybody
else is dead--my wife is dead, my boy is dead, and soon I shall be dead.
So naturally I think a good deal about her. You will be kind to her,
won't you? Good-bye, my son, and don't trouble about money; there's
plenty."

CHAPTER VIII

THE SUNK ROCKS AND THE SINGER

Morris arrived home in safety, and speedily settled the question of
the drainage mill to the satisfaction of all concerned. But he did not
return to Beaulieu. To begin with, although the rural authorities ceased
to trouble them, his father was most urgent that he should stay and
supervise the putting up of the new farm buildings, and wrote to him
nearly every day to this effect. It occurred to his son that under the
circumstances he might have come to look after the buildings himself;
also, that perhaps he found the villa at Beaulieu more comfortable
without his presence; a conjecture in which he was perfectly correct.

Upon the first point, also, letters from Mary soon enlightened him. It
appeared that shortly after his departure Sir Jonah, in a v