ybil.

"I say, we've seen the best part of the ruins," he remarked. "The
renovation's hideous. Let's go in the wood--and I'll show you a
squirrel's nest."

Sybil hesitated. Her thoughts for a moment were in confusion. Then she
sighed once and turned towards the wood.

"I have never seen a squirrel's nest," she said. "Is it far?"

Lady Caroom put her sketch away as she heard their approaching
footsteps, and looked up. Atherstone's happiness was too ridiculously
apparent. He came straight over to her.

"You'll give her to me, won't you?" he exclaimed. "'Pon my word, she
shall be the happiest woman in England if I can make her so. I'm
perfectly certain I'm the happiest man."

Lady Caroom pressed her daughter's hand, and they all turned to descend
the hill.

"Of course I'm charmed," Lady Caroom said. "Sybil makes me feel so
elderly. But I don't know what I shall do for a chaperon now."

Atherstone laughed.

"I'm your son-in-law," he said. "I can take you out."

Sybil shook her head.

"No, you won't," she declared. "The only woman I have ever been really
jealous of is mother. She has a way of absorbing all the attention from
every one when she is around. I'm not going to have her begin with
you."

"I feel," Atherstone said, "like the man who married a twin--said he
never tried to tell the difference, you know, when a pal asked him how
he picked out his own wife."

"If you think," Sybil said, severely, "that you have made any
arrangements of that sort I take it all back. You are going to marry
me, if you behave yourself."

He sighed.

"Three months is a beastly long time," he said.

Lady Caroom drove back alone. The motor whizzed by her half-way down
the hill--Sybil holding her hat with both hands, her hair blowing about,
and her cheeks pink with pleasure. She waved her hand gaily as she went
by, and then clutched her hat again. Lady Caroom watched them till they
were out of sight, then she found herself looking steadfastly across the
valley to the dark belt of pine-clad hills beyond. She could see
nothing very clearly, and there was a little choking in her throat.
They were both there, father and son. Once she fancied that at last he
was holding out his arms towards her--she sat up in the carriage with a
little cry which was half a sob. When she drove through the hotel gates
it was he who stood upon the steps to welcome her.

CHAPTER XI

BROOKS HEARS THE NEWS

Unchanged! Her first eager glance