ew years older than her brother; though one
would hardly have guessed it. Her trim figure, bright eyes, vivacity
of expression when she chose to be vivacious, and quick movements
might have belonged to a woman twenty years younger. She had never
been pretty, but she was always perfectly dressed and her smile could
be anything she chose to make it. Until her youngest brother came into
the property, the place had been let and she had lived with her friends
and relations. She had had a good time, she always frankly confessed,
but as frankly admitted that it was a relief to settle down at last.

"I was thinking," said her brother.

"About Cicely?" she asked in her frankly audacious way.

He opened his eyes for a moment and then laughed.

"You needn't guess again, Lilian," he admitted.

"Funny little thing," she observed.

"Funny?" he repeated, and his tone brought an almost imperceptible
change of expression into his sister's eye.

"Oh," she said as though throwing the subject aside, "she is nice and
quite pretty, but very young, and not very sophisticated; is she?
However, I should think she would be a great success as a man's girl.
That low voice and those eyes of hers are very effective. Pass me the
salt, Ned."

Ned looked at her in silence, and then over her shoulder out through the
square window set in the vast thickness of the wall, to the grey horizon
line.

"I guess you've recommended me to marry once or twice, Lilian," he
observed.

"Don't 'guess' please!" she laughed, "or I'll stick my bowie knife or
gun or something into you! Yes, I've always advised you to marry--if you
found the right kind of wife."

She took some credit to herself for this disinterested advice, since, if
he took it, the consequences would be decidedly disconcerting to
herself; but she had never pointed out any specific lady yet, or made
any conspicuous effort to find one for him.

"Well----" he began, and then broke off.

"You're not thinking of Cicely, are you?" she asked, still in the same
bright light way, but with a quick searching look at him.

"It seems a bit absurd. I don't imagine for an instant she'd look at
me."

"Wouldn't look----!" she began derisively, and then pulled herself up
very sharply, and altered her tactics on the instant. "She might think
you a little too old for her," she said in a tone of entire agreement
with him.

"And also that I've got one too few eyes, and in fact several other
criticisms."