t that she understood her child and all
her feelings. She recognised the violence of the shock which must be
encountered before Lily could be brought to acknowledge such a change
in her heart. But if the thing could be done, Lily would be a happy
woman. When once done it would be in all respects a blessing. And
if it were not done, might not Lily's life be blank, lonely, and
loveless to the end? Yet when Lily came down in the evening, with
some light, half-joking word on her lips, as was usual to her, Mrs
Dale was still afraid to venture upon her task.

"I suppose, mamma, we may consider it as a settled thing that
everything must be again unpacked, and that the lodging scheme will
be given up."

"I don't know that, my dear."

"Oh, but I do--after what you said just now. What geese everybody
will think us!"

"I shouldn't care a bit for that, if we didn't think ourselves geese,
or if your uncle did not think us so."

"I believe he would think we were swans. If I had ever thought he
would be so much in earnest about it, or that he would ever have
cared about our being here, I would never have voted for going. But
he is so strange. He is affectionate when he ought to be angry, and
ill-natured when he ought to be gentle and kind."

"He has, at any rate, given us reason to feel sure of his affection."

"For us girls, I never doubted it. But, mamma, I don't think I could
face Mrs Boyce. Mrs Hearn and Mrs Crump would be very bad, and
Hopkins would come down upon us terribly when he found that we had
given way. But Mrs Boyce would be worse than any of them. Can't you
fancy the tone of her congratulations?"

"I think I should survive Mrs Boyce."

"Ah, yes; because we should have to go and tell her. I know your
cowardice of old, mamma; don't I? And Bell wouldn't care a bit,
because of her lover. Mrs Boyce will be nothing to her. It is I that
must bear it all. Well, I don't mind; I'll vote for staying if you
will promise to be happy here. Oh, mamma, I'll vote for anything if
you will be happy."

"And will you be happy?"

"Yes, as happy as the day is long. Only I know we shall never see
Bell. People never do see each other when they live just at that
distance. It's too near for long visits, and too far for short
visits. I'll tell you what; we might make arrangements each to walk
half-way, and meet at the corner of Lord De Guest's wood. I wonder
whether they'd let us put up a seat there. I think we might have a
little