hich she speaks to you with affection and pride,
and even regrets that she will lose you. Her letter conveys the idea
that you _are_ loved and wanted." He put emphasis on the "are."

"It was a nice letter," said Gwen, thinking hard as she spoke. "But you
see we haven't got any home now," she went on. "Mother stays about with
people. It is hard lines, but she is so sporting."

"Yes," said the Warden, "and," he said, as if to assist her to complete
the picture, "yet she wants you!" As he spoke his eyes narrowed and his
breath was arrested for a moment.

"Oh no," said Gwen, eagerly. "She doesn't want to prevent--me--me
marrying. You see she can't have me much, it's--it's difficult in other
people's houses--at least it sometimes is--just now especially."

"Thank you," said the Warden, "I understand." He sighed and moved
slightly from his former position. "You mean that she wants you very
much, but that she can't afford to give you a home."

"Yes," said Gwen, with relief. The way was being made very clear to her.
She was telling "the truth" and he was helping her so kindly. "You see
mother couldn't stand a small house and servant bothers. It's been such
hard luck on her, that father left nothing like what she thought he had
got. Mother has been so plucky, she really has."

"I see," said the Warden. "Then your mother's letter has your approval?"

Her approval! Yes, of course; it was simply topping of her mother to
have written in the way she did.

"It was good of mother," she said. If it hadn't been for her mother she
would not have known what to do.

The Warden moved his hand away from the mantelshelf and now stood with
his back against it, away from the blaze of the fire.

"You have never mentioned, in my presence," he said, "what you think
about the work that most girls of your age are doing for the war."

"Oh yes," said Gwen, eagerly; "mother is so keen about that. She does do
such a lot herself, and she took me away from school a fortnight before
time was up to go to a hospital for three months' training."

"And you are having a holiday and want to go on," suggested the Warden.

"No; mother thought I had better have a change. You can't think how
horrid the matron was to me--she had favourites, worse luck; and now
mother is looking--has been"--Gwen corrected herself sharply--"for
something for me to do that would be more suitable, but the difficulty
is to find anything really nice."

The Warden meditated. "