wn--her face shadowed
by the deep brim of her motor-bonnet.

More and more was this like a scene out of a dream to Betty Tosswill. In
a way, it was, of course, natural that she and Godfrey should be alone,
and that he should turn to her as his closest friend. And yet it seemed
strange and unnatural, too. But Betty had a very generous nature--and to
this man, who was looking at her with such an eager, searching look, she
felt in a peculiar relation. So she repeated, with greater ease and
lightness, "Let's settle, here and now, that this is to be the future
residence of Godfrey Radmore, Esquire! Timmy's a little bit like a cat,
you know. He'll simply adore this house. He'll love all the pretty things
in it. Perhaps you'd run him up in the motor presently, while I stay with
the little girl and that nice woman?"

And then all at once he took a step forward and roughly took her two
hands in his: "Betty," he said, "don't you understand? I shall never
enter this house again unless you're willing to come and share it with
me. No place would be home to me without you in it. Why, Old Place is
only home now because you're there."

She looked at him with a long, searching, measuring look; a look that
was, unconsciously, full of questioning; but her hands remained in his
strong grasp.

"Don't you know that I've always been yours?" he asked--"that I shall
always be yours even if you won't have me--even if I end by marrying
another woman, as I daresay I shall do if you won't have me, for I'm a
lonely chap--" And then something in her face made him add: "Try to love
me again, Betty. I want you to say to yourself--'a poor thing but mine
own.' Do, my dear."

And then Betty burst out crying, and found herself clasped in his arms,
strained to his heart, while his lips sought and found her soft,
tremulous mouth.

He was gentle with her, gentle and strangely restrained. And yet as the
happy moments went by in that silent, sunny house, something deep in her
still troubled heart told her that Radmore really loved her--loved her as
perhaps he had not loved her ten years ago, in his hot, selfish,
impulsive youth.

"We needn't tell anyone for a little while, need we?" she whispered at
last.

She had shared her life, given her services to so many during the last
nine years, and she longed to keep this strange new joy a secret for a
while.

"If you like, we need never tell them at all," he answered. "We can just
go out, find a church,