by the pains and scars of war. But now everything seemed
different, somehow. Beechfield was a place of mourning, and in a place
of mourning this smiling, beautifully dressed, almost too pretty young
creature looked out of place. Still that wasn't her fault, after all.

As the three sat down, Timmy upset the narrow oak stool on which he had
placed himself with a great clatter, and Radmore suddenly realised that
he had made a mistake in bringing the boy. For the first time since his
return to England he saw something like a frown gather on Mrs. Crofton's
face. Perhaps, unlike most nice women, she didn't like children?

"I'm awfully grateful to you for having told me about Beechfield," she
exclaimed. "Although I've hardly been here a week, I do feel what a
delightful place it is! Everybody is so kind and friendly. Why the very
first day I was here I was asked to supper at Old Place--and several
people have left cards on me already. What sort of a woman is Miss--" she
hesitated, "Pendarth?"

Timmy and Radmore looked at one another, but neither spoke for a moment.
Then Radmore answered, rather drily:--"In my time, Miss Pendarth was the
greatest gossip and busy-body within a radius of thirty miles. She must
be an old woman now."

"Oh, I don't think she would like you to call her that!" exclaimed Timmy,
and both his grown-up auditors laughed. But Enid Crofton felt a little
disappointed, for on Miss Pendarth's card had been written the words:--"I
look forward to making your acquaintance. I think I must have known
Colonel Crofton many years ago. There was a Cecil Crofton who was a great
friend of my brother's--they joined the Ninetieth on the same day." She
had rather hoped to find a kindly friend and ally in the still unknown
caller.

And then, as if answering her secret thought, Radmore observed
carelessly:--"It's wrong to prejudice you against Miss Pendarth; I've
known her do most awfully kind things. But she had what the Scotch call
a 'scunner' against me when I was a boy. She's the sort of woman who's
a good friend and a bad enemy."

"I must hope," said his hostess softly, "that she'll be a good friend to
me. At any rate, it was nice of her to come and call almost at once,
wasn't it?"

"You've delightful quarters here," observed Radmore. "The Trellis House
was a very different place to this in my time; I can remember a hideous,
cold and white wallpaper in this room--it looks twice as large as it did
then."

"I fo