od excuse for giving her notice
to leave that cottage. She knew well that it was the opinion of all its
other inhabitants that the village would be much better without her and
that there were very good grounds for it.

William Roper perceived with uncommon clearness the truth of Mr. Flexen's
assertion that he was a babbling idiot. His dream of outing William
Hutchings from the post of head-gamekeeper and filling it himself was for
ever shattered, and he had been the great man of the village for little
more than fourteen hours, ten of which he had spent in sleep. He cursed
the hour in which he had espied that luckless kiss, and too late
perceived the folly of a humble gamekeeper's meddling with the affairs of
those who own the game he keeps.

The next morning Elizabeth observed that her mistress was another
creature, almost her old self indeed. The air of strain and oppression
had, for the time being at any rate, gone from her face. She moved with
her old alertness. She even smiled at Elizabeth's strictures on the
treacherous William Roper.

After breakfast she bade Elizabeth pack a trunk for her, since she was
going to London that afternoon and would spend the night, perhaps two or
three days, there. Also, she chose, with frowning thoughtfulness and no
little changing of mind, the frocks she would take with her, and
discussed carefully with Elizabeth the changes necessary to give them a
sufficiently mourning character.

Elizabeth was indeed pleased with the change in her mistress. She
ascribed it to the influence of Colonel Grey.

In the afternoon Olivia went to London and drove from Paddington to
Grey's flat. She found him awaiting her with the most eager expectation.
He had bought the special licence; the chaplain of his regiment and a
wounded friend were coming at seven o'clock. After they were married,
they would all four dine together, and, later, he and she would return
to his flat.

They had tea, and then he showed her some of the beautiful things, for
the most part ivory and jade, which were his most loved possessions. She
admitted frankly that she had to learn to appreciate and admire them as
they deserved. But she was sure that she would learn to do so.

She found the flat of a somewhat spartan simplicity after Loudwater
Castle, Quainton Hall, and the houses to which she was used. But she also
found that it had been furnished with a keen regard for comfort. In
particular, she observed that the easy cha