y is done."

Rosamund saw Welsley receding from her into darkness, with its familiar
faces and voices, its gray towers, its cloisters, its bells, the Dresden
Amen, the secret garden, the dreams she had had in the garden.

"Number 5 is all ready to go into. It was lucky we only let it for six
months," she said quietly.

"Uncle Biron has given me a fortnight's holiday, or rather gladly agreed
to my taking it. Of course I'm my own master in a way, being a partner,
but I want to consider him. He was awfully good about my going away.
Mother's looking well. She was at our Thanksgiving Service; Beattie and
Guy too. I've had just a glimpse of godfather."

They talked about family things till Robin came in from his festivity
with Mr. Thrush, who was staying at Little Cloisters, but only till the
following day.

That was a great moment, the moment of Robin's arrival. Mr. Thrush did
not appear with him, but, being a man of delicate perceptions despite
his unfortunate appearance, retired discreetly to the servants' hall,
leaving his devoted adherent free for the "family reunion," as he called
it.

"Go up quietly, dear," said the nurse to Robin, "and tap at the
drawing-room door."

"Shall I tap?" asked Robin earnestly.

He was looking unusually solemn, his lips were parted, and his eyes
almost stared.

"Yes, dear. Tap prettily, like a young gentleman as you are, and when
you hear 'Come in!'----"

"I know then!" interrupted Robin, with an air of decision.

He walked rather slowly upstairs, lifting one brown leg after the other
thoughtfully from step to step, till he was outside the drawing-room
door. Inside he heard the noise of a man's voice, which sounded to him
very tremendous and important, the voice of a brave soldier.

"That's Fa!" he thought, and he listened for a moment as to the voice of
a god.

Then he doubled his small fist and gave a bang to the door. Some
instinct told him not to follow nurse's injunction, not to try to be
pretty in his tapping. The voice of the soldier ceased inside, there was
a brief sound of a woman's voice, then came a strong "Come in!"

Robin opened the door, went straight up to the very dark and very thin
man whom he saw sitting by the fire, and, staring at this man with
intensity, lifted up his face, at the same time saying:

"'Ullo, Fa!"

There was a dropped aitch for which nurse, who was very choice in her
English, would undoubtedly have rebuked him had she been present. The