d labour.

"How do you like the looks of things?" her husband asked.

"Nice as can be."

"You like it?"

"Very much. I am glad you did not make the house white."

"I remembered you said it ought to be brown."

"But would you have liked it white?"

"I would have liked it no way but your way," he said with a slight
smile and look at her, which Diana could not answer, and which cut her
sharply. She had noticed, she thought, that Basil was more sober than
he used to be. She thought she knew why; and she wanted to tell him
part of what had gone on in her mind of late, and how free she was of
the feelings he supposed were troubling her; but a great shyness of the
subject had seized Diana. She was afraid to broach it at all, lest
going on from one thing to another, Basil might ask a question she
could not answer. She was very sorry for him, so much that she almost
forgot to be sorry for herself, as she went into the house.

Mrs. Flandin was sitting with Mrs. Starling in the lean-to kitchen.

"So you made up your mind to come home," was her mother's greeting. "I
almost wonder you did."

"If you knew how good the salt water was to me, you might wonder,"
Diana answered cheerfully.

"Well, I never could see what there was in salt water!" said Mrs.
Flandin, "that folks should be so crazy to go into it! If I was
drownin', 'seems to me I'd rather have my mouth full o' sun'thin'
sweet."

"But I was not drowning," said Diana.

"Well, I want to know what you've got by stayin' away from your place
all summer"--her mother went on.

"Her place was there," said the minister, who followed Diana in.

"Now, dominie," said Mrs. Flandin, "you say that jes' 'cause she's your
wife. Hain't her place been empty all these months? Where is a wife's
place? I should like to hear you say."

"Don't you think it is where her husband wants her to be?"

"And you wanted her to be away from you down there? Do you mean that?"

"If he had not, I should not have gone, Mrs. Flandin," Diana said, and
with a smile.

"Well now, du tell! what good did salt water do ye? The minister said
you was gone to salt water somewheres."

"It did me more good than I could ever make you understand."

"I don't believe it!" said Mrs. Starling harshly. "You mean, it was a
clever thing to play lady and sit with your hands before you all
summer. It was good there was somebody at home to do the work."

"Not your work, Di," said her husband good humouredly; "n