their sons in the police or the railway service.

"But don't you find it dull, dear?" said George, loyally doing his best
not to worry as the months went by.

"I've been so busy putting my house in order I haven't had time to
think," said she. "Do you?"

"No--no. If I could only be sure of you."

She turned on the green drawing-room's couch (it was Empire, not
Heppelwhite after all), and laid aside a list of linen and blankets.

"It has changed everything, hasn't it?" she whispered.

"Oh, Lord, yes. But I still think if we went back to Baltimore--"

"And missed our first real summer together. No thank you, me lord."

"But we're absolutely alone."

"Isn't that what I'm doing my best to remedy? Don't you worry. I like
it--like it to the marrow of my little bones. You don't realize what her
house means to a woman. We thought we were living in it last year, but
we hadn't begun to. Don't you rejoice in your study, George?"

"I prefer being here with you." He sat down on the floor by the couch
and took her hand.

"Seven," she said, as the French clock struck. "Year before last you'd
just be coming back from business."

He winced at the recollection, then laughed. "Business! I've been at
work ten solid hours to-day."

"Where did you lunch? With the Conants?"

"No; at Dutton Shaw, sitting on a log, with my feet in a swamp. But
we've found out where the old spring is, and we're going to pipe it down
to Gale Anstey next year."

"I'll come and see to-morrow. Oh, please open the door, dear. I want to
look down the passage. Isn't that corner by the stair-head lovely where
the sun strikes in?" She looked through half-closed eyes at the vista of
ivory-white and pale green all steeped in liquid gold.

"There's a step out of Jane Elphick's bedroom," she went on--"and his
first step in the world ought to be up. I shouldn't wonder if those
people hadn't put it there on purpose. George, will it make any odds to
you if he's a girl?"

He answered, as he had many times before, that his interest was his
wife, not the child.

"Then you're the only person who thinks so." She laughed. "Don't be
silly, dear. It's expected. I know. It's my duty. I shan't be able to
look our people in the face if I fail."

"What concern is it of theirs, confound 'em!"

"You'll see. Luckily the tradition of the house is boys, Mrs. Cloke
says, so I'm provided for. Shall you ever begin to understand these
people? I shan't."

"And we bought it