I tell
you that, as a little child, Timmy actually declared he could see
fairies and gnomes, 'the little people' as we call them in my country!
I think that's what first started this queer reputation of his among
the village folk. I tell you he's anything but a welcome guest in the
cottages--people with evil consciences, you know!" The doctor laughed.
"They're afraid of Master Timmy, that's what the bad folks in Beechfield
are--they think he can 'blight' them, bring ill-luck on them. Well, well,
I mustn't stop, gossiping here with you, though it's very pleasant. By
the way, I'll ask you to keep all I've said to you to yourself--not
but what the boy's parents know quite well what I think about him!"

Then followed a few professional questions and answers, and then the
doctor went off, well satisfied with his visit.

After Dr. O'Farrell had gone, Enid Crofton lay back and shut her eyes.
Her nerves had by no means recovered from the horrible experience,
and she felt a sort of utter distaste to Beechfield and to everybody
there--with the one exception of Godfrey Radmore. She promised herself
fiercely that if Radmore did what she was always telling herself secretly
he would surely end by doing, then she would make it her business to see
that they never, either of them, came back to this horrible place any
more.

Apart from anything else, Jack Tosswill was already beginning to be more
of a complication than was pleasant to one in her weak, excited state.
He had left a letter when he called that morning--an eager, ardent
love-letter, entirely assuming that they were engaged to be married.

She took it out of the pretty fancy bag, which lay on her pale blue silk
eiderdown, and read it through again with a mixture of amusement and
irritation. It was a long letter, written on the cheap, grey Old Place
notepaper, very unlike another love-letter she had had to-day, written
on nice, thick, highly-glazed letter-paper which had a small coronet
embossed above the address. In that letter Captain Tremaine urgently
asked to be allowed to come down for the next week-end. He pointed out
that his leave was drawing to a close, and that they had a lot of things
to discuss. He, too, considered himself engaged to her, but somehow she
didn't mind that. She told herself pettishly that Providence has a way of
managing things very badly. If only Tremaine had Radmore's money, even
only a portion of his money, how gladly she would leave England beh