y lavish one for the traveller; and had accomplished all
these things by the time he was dressed and ready at nine o'clock.

He glowed with health and cheer. The creases in his brow were smoothed
out; his smile was ready; his voice had its old boyish ring.

Because he was going away from them the metamorphosis occurred which
rived the wife's heart afresh. He was so glad to go.

He sat down with a great appetite to breakfast, while she faced him
behind the tea tray. The baby, being unable to help herself as yet,
was still imprisoned in her cot in the bedroom until such time as her
mother could attend to her, and on the dining-room floor George and
the three-year-old, ordered to keep extremely quiet and inoffensive,
played with their bricks. Now and again an erection of bricks toppled
down accidentally with a shattering noise, when Osborn exclaimed:
"Shut up, you kids!" and their mother implored: "Do try to keep quiet
while Daddy's here."

The parents made conversation at breakfast, but not much. It was kept
mainly to material things relevant to the moment, such as:

"You packed _all_ my thin shirts, didn't you?"

"Except the striped one, which has gone too far. I'll make it up for
George."

"Have you written the labels?"

"No. I didn't know where to."

"All right. I'll do 'em. It's a jolly morning for a start, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm so glad."

"I'll write and give you an address as soon as I can. I shall be able
to find out to-day about mails, I expect. Yesterday I really didn't
think of inquiring. 'Sides, I hadn't time. And I can tell you, I was
all up a tree with excitement."

"Of course you were. It'll be a lovely holiday for you."

"Wish you could come too. Look after yourselves, won't you?"

"Yes, thanks, dear."

"Did you tell the porter to get a taxi at ten?"

"No! George can run down and do it now. George, run down and tell the
porter Daddy wants a taxi at ten sharp."

Marie rose to unlatch the front door for George and returned.

The hour went past like a wheeled thing gathering velocity down an
ever steeper and steeper slope. It was extraordinary how quickly it
flew, and the moment came for the good-bye. She looked at him, and her
heart seemed to beat up in her throat. If only he would have thrown
his arms around her and been very sorry to go! She wanted a long
good-bye in the flat, where no one could see and pry upon her anguish.
But he had been married for six such long years that perhaps