hole, you know," she said. "I do hope you
won't be bored to death. It won't be so bad if Micky keeps his promise
and comes down, but if he doesn't...."

"Don't you think he will?" Esther asked quickly.

"Oh, I dare say he will. I hope he will, I'm sure; somebody has got to
amuse you while I go and see to my business."

"I can amuse myself."

June sniffed.

"Can you? Well, it's more than I could when I used to stay down here.
There's only a church and a village inn and a handful of cottages. My
aunt has by far the most distinguished-looking house in the village,
and I dare say you won't think much of that."

They were on the platform now, and June eyed their two suit-cases
ruefully.

"We shall have to carry them," she said. "No porters or taxicabs here,
my dear. Come along."

She grabbed her own, and Esther followed her out into the road.

It was cold but sunny, and the fresh air of the country was something
quite different from the chilly, damp atmosphere they had left behind
in London.

Esther drew a deep breath.

"It's lovely," she said. "Do you know"--she looked ahead of her down
the winding road with a little frown--"I've got the sort of feeling
that something is going to happen to me here."

"Goodness!" said June. "Don't you start having instincts too! It's bad
enough for me to have them. What can happen to you, pray, unless you
get melancholia or something?"

Esther laughed.

It was only a little way into the village; as soon as they came in
sight of it June pointed excitedly to a red gabled house just visible
through the trees.

"That's where my aunt lives. She's an old maid, you know, and
incidentally she thinks I'm a most heaven-born genius. She's nearly
sixty, but I'll bet anything you like she uses June Mason's Skin
Beautifier."

She paused to open the iron gate of the little garden, but before
there was time to ring the bell the door opened and a little lady with
grey hair and a wonderful complexion very much like June's stood there
with outstretched hands.

"My dears! I never was so delighted! June--after all these months you
really have come to see me."

She kissed June heartily and turned to Esther. June introduced them.

"My friend, Esther Shepstone--my aunt, Miss Dearling. I don't know
what you think of us for arriving on top of our wire like this," she
said, laughing. "But I like to do things in a hurry--so here we are,
and we're just starving."

They followed Miss Dearling