oo much to do in the
house."

"It's not," said Frances, "as if there was any struggle to make ends
meet. She has everything she wants."

"Children----" said John.

"It's preposterous," said Henry.

When Nina had gone Brodrick came to Jane.

"Well," he said, "do you still want to go away for three months?"

"It's not that I want to, but I must."

"If you must," he said, "of course you may. I dare say it will be a very
good thing for you."

"Shall you mind, Hugh?"

"Oh dear me, no. I shall be very comfortable here with Gertrude."

"And Gertrude," she murmured, "will be very comfortable here with you."

That evening, about nine o'clock, the parlour-maid announced to Brodrick
in his study that Miss Winny and Mr. Eddy had called. They were in the
dining-room. When Brodrick asked if Mrs. Brodrick was with them he was
told that the young gentlemen had said expressly that it was Mr.
Brodrick whom they wished to see.

Brodrick desired that they should be brought to him. They were going
away, to stay somewhere with a school-fellow of Winny's, and he supposed
that they had looked in to say good-bye.

As they entered something told him, as he had not been told before, that
his young niece and nephew had grown up. It was not Winny's ripening
form and trailing gown, it was not the golden down on Eddy's upper lip;
it was not altogether that the outline of their faces had lost the
engaging and tender indecision of its youth. It was their unmistakable
air of inward assurance and maturity.

After the usual greetings (Brodrick was aware of a growing restraint in
this particular) Eddy, at the first opening, made for his point--_their_
point, rather. His uncle had inquired with urbane irony at what hour the
family was to be bereaved of their society, and how long it would have
to languish----

They were going, Eddy said, at ten in the morning, and a jolly good
thing too. They weren't coming back, either, any sooner than they could
help. They--well, they couldn't "stick it" at home just now.

They'd had (Winny interpolated) a row with Uncle Henry, a gorgeous row
(the colour of it was in Winny's face).

Brodrick showed no sign of surprise, not so much as a raised eyebrow. He
asked in quiet tones what it was all about?

Eddy, standing up before his uncle and looking very tall and manly,
gazed down his waistcoat at his boots.

"It was about Jin-Jin," Winny said.

(Eddy could almost have sworn that his uncle suffered a