lf, naturally, and Carrie Donner."

"And no one else?"

The girl just waited. "Yes, Mr. Cashmore came in."

Her mother gave a groan of impatience. "Ah AGAIN?"

Nanda thought an instant. "How do you mean, 'again'? He just lives there
as much as he ever did, and Tishy can't prevent him."

"I was thinking of Mr. Longdon--of THEIR meeting. When he met him here
that time he liked it so little. Did he like it any more to-day?" Mrs.
Brook quavered.

"Oh no, he hated it."

"But hadn't he--if he should go in--known he WOULD?"

"Yes, perfectly. But he wanted to see."

"To see--?" Mrs. Brook just threw out.

"Well, where I go so much. And he knew I wished it."

"I don't quite see why," Mrs. Brook mildly observed. And then as her
daughter said nothing to help her: "At any rate he did loathe it?"

Nanda, for a reply, simply after an instant put a question. "Well, how
can he understand?"

"You mean, like me, why you do go there so much? How can he indeed?"

"I don't mean that," the girl returned--"it's just that he understands
perfectly, because he saw them all, in such an extraordinary way--well,
what can I ever call it?--clutch me and cling to me."

Mrs. Brook, with full gravity, considered this picture. "And was Mr.
Cashmore to-day so ridiculous?"

"Ah he's not ridiculous, mamma--he's very unhappy. He thinks now Lady
Fanny probably won't go, but he feels that may be after all only the
worse for him."

"She WILL go," Mrs. Brook answered with one of her roundabout approaches
to decision. "He IS too great an idiot. She was here an hour ago, and if
ever a woman was packed--!"

"Well," Nanda objected, "but doesn't she spend her time in packing and
unpacking?"

This enquiry, however, scarce pulled up her mother. "No--though she HAS,
no doubt, hitherto wasted plenty of labour. She has now a dozen boxes--I
could see them there in her wonderful eyes--just waiting to be called
for. So if you're counting on her not going, my dear--!" Mrs. Brook gave
a head-shake that was the warning of wisdom.

"Oh I don't care what she does!" Nanda replied. "What I meant just now
was that Mr. Longdon couldn't understand why, with so much to make them
so, they couldn't be decently happy."

"And did he wish you to explain?"

"I tried to, but I didn't make it any better. He doesn't like them. He
doesn't even care for Tish."

"He told you so--right out?"

"Oh," Nanda said, "of course I asked him. I didn't press him, because I
nev