in the Park of their fresh June greenness and converted the progress of foot-passengers along its sult

ck court or alley, and Coppertop, who had been romping ever more and more flaggingly with a fox-terrier puppy he had recently acqu

to go to the seaside, mummi

own at the sma

, Topkins?" she asked. "To a farm where they hav

" interpolated Cop

the time we get there. But there'll be r

ed up, smili

ing 'there,' then-wher

agda. "It's a farm I've heard of in Devonshire, wh

er that the whole matter was practi

w suede shoes and filmy stockings-every detail of her dress and person breathing the expensiveness and luxury and highly specia

of society and the theatre and the eternal gossip that

ast few months. She thought she understood what lay behin

rooms at this

art of her essential lovableness, she went on: "Gilly, are you sure you don't mind? I ought to hav

own eyes smiled at

want to come. I've never been to Devonshire. An

ut in Copperto

ce," said Gillian. "Ho

ide to look you up in their car, just when you think you're safely buried, and disinter you. I don't want to be disinterred. I propose to get right away into the country, out of reach of everybody we know, for two m

icular paradise is which you've sel

rdnance map with a magnifying glass! The farm itself is called Stockleigh and is owned and farmed by some peop

se grounds, may I ask? Because the p

arded her

ieve that had a lot to do

into a little g

you!" she

Coppertop, together with sundry trunks and suitcases, in undisputed possession of

. "It has a kind of 'home-made' appearance, hasn't it?

ur lugga

ed but one-addressed her abruptly. From a certain inimical glea

ngly. "Is there a trap

t once under Magda's disarming smile, and r

intonation common to all Devon voices fell very pleasantl

tockleigh," announced

h widened into an

ere's the wagonette from the Crown

The driver swished his whip negligently above the animal's broad back, but presumably more with the idea of keeping off the flies than with any hope of accelerating his speed. There would be no other train to meet at Ashencombe unt

drowsy, sunshiny peace of the July afternoon seemed very far rem

o brush the wheels of the carriage as it passed. Overhead, a restful sky of misty blue flecked with wisps of white cloud, while each inconsequent turn of the narrow twisting road revealed a sudden glimpse of

sts-long since denuded of the gate which had once swung between them-pulling up in front of a

you from the walls, even peering out impertinently to catch the sun from beneath the eaves of the roof, whose thatch had mellowed to a somber brown with wind and weather. Above the

the porch, waiting with a slight stir of nervousness to receive the travellers. The sunlight, filtering between the leaves of the honeysuckle, dappl

usband had to go to Exeter to-day. He was sorr

of poise and her look of extreme youth hardly seeming the married woman that she was, the other gowned with the simplicity of line and detailed finish a

? The man will se

ve instinct of hospitality. She led the way into the house and they followed he

e flushed a little anxiously-"I do hope you will like them. I've made them as nice as I could. But,

ed her a ch

she answered, glancing about

he whitewashed ceilings, sloping at odd, unexpected angles, gave them a quaint attractiv

n lattice windows and looking across the rise and fall of hill and valley to where the di

er had paying-guests before, and I really didn't know what would be conside

er ingenuousness and wistful desire to

e"-glancing about her-"so dear and old-fashioned. I think it's very good of you

her rooms was the famous dancer, Magda Wielitzska, since the rooms had been engaged in the

ainst it." A troubled little frown knitted her level brows. "But we've had such bad luck on the farm since we were married-the rain spoilt all our crop

eep his home to himself-an Englishman's home is his castle, you k

sitive little person, and the blood came and went qu

een very happy-in spite of our bad luck on the

you a lot of trouble while we're here. You don't look over-strong." Her glance rested kindly on her hostess's young face. In spite of its dewy blue eyes and clear skin

hadn't been used to it, and we can't afford to keep a servant. You see, I married Dan against the wi

a. "They can't feel very badly about

nderstand that, can't you?"-appealingly. "He wants to justify himself-to prove th

an, as, half an hour later, she and Magda and Coppertop were seated round a rustic wooden table i

usly comes of good stock, while I expect he himself is just an ordinary sort of far

interest in June Storran had evaporated, push

ly? There's something homelike and friendly about the whole landscape-a sort of intimate feeling. I feel as if I'd known it all f

acious curves of green and golden fields, broken here and there by stretches of pl

pily from one day to the next, breathing this glorious air, and eating plain, simple food, and

d laughter checked this enthusi

you to get bored in about a week and to rush me off to Deauville or

house, Coppertop skirmishing happily behind them. "I really think I might be good he

k, striding steps, and the next moment a man's figure rounded the tal

as something free and bold in his swinging gait that seemed to challenge the whole world. It suggested an almost fierce

aused, and Magda held out a slim

ust be Mr. Stor

of crinkly dark-brown hair thatching a lean sunburnt face, out

," he said simply. "I

glance only rested cursorily on Gillian's soft, pretty face, re

rain myself to-day," he said, a n

smiled

," she a