d, Mrs Mildmay gave in to their kind hostess's earnest wish
that they should remain there at least till her husband's coming.

'And as much longer as we can persuade him to stay,' Lady Myrtle added.
'He can so easily run up to town from this, as he is sure to have to be
there often, about these appointments. And then it will be such a
pleasure to his sister to have him near.'

'Oh yes, Thetford is as good a headquarters as we could have at
present,' agreed Mrs Mildmay. 'But Thetford, dear Lady Myrtle, need not
necessarily mean Robin Redbreast, you know! And it would not be
difficult for us to find a nice little house there that would suit us
for the time.'

'Well, well, it will be time enough to see to that when your husband is
here,' replied the old lady.

And Mrs Mildmay, whose nature was not one to anticipate or dwell upon
difficulties or uncertainties in the future which she could not in the
present take action about, gratefully accepted her kind friend's
hospitality, happy in the knowledge that her doing so really gave
happiness to Lady Myrtle in return.

It was very strange to have papa in person, 'as large as life or a
little larger,' said Frances. For they had not pictured to themselves
quite such a tall, grave, rather awe-inspiring personage as he seemed at
first. And they could scarcely understand how their mother could be so
entirely at ease with him; how she could even laugh at him, and tease
him now and then as if she was not 'the least atom' afraid of him.

But there was plenty of fun and humour hidden in the depths of Colonel
Mildmay's dark eyes; it was not altogether wanting even in his sister
Alison, though the circumstances of her life had not brought out several
of the qualities developed by his wider and larger experiences. And
before long his children, the two younger ones especially, got to know
this, and to count upon their father's ever-ready sympathy in even the
more childish of their interests and amusements. And Jacinth for her
part was intensely proud of her father. He suited her in every way;
except that now and then a slight suspicion insinuated itself that this
very grand and dignified papa of hers, affectionate and even caressing
as he could be when he laid his hand on her head and smoothed her soft
hair, was laughing at her a little, which did not at all suit Jacinth's
princess-like ideas of herself.

Still all was very happy, very happy indeed, the sweet summer days
passing only