"Let's sit here for a moment," said Owen, pointing to a fallen log. "May I smoke?"

Joy nodded, but she could not speak. She did not want a sound to stir the motionless serenity.

"This kind of thing makes a man feel religious," Owen said at last.

"when you make it so tall an order. Never mind, you do interest me. Only don't tell me, as you usually do, just when I'm most counting on your liking to be with me, that it would be quite perfect if Julia was here, too!"

Joy looked at him in astonishment. For a moment she did n't like what he

Owen looked at her curiously.

"You believe in all that sort of thing, I suppose," he asked, "religion, churches, law, and gospels?" Joy hesitated.

"I believe," she said, "in one thing; at least I don't know even if I believe it, because I suppose believing is being what you think, is n't it, even when you find it hard? I have n't found it hard yet, but I do believe in love, Owen."

"Love?" asked Owen, his eyes rested on hers with a kindness that seemed to beseech and claim an answering kindness from her. "But that's what I be lieve in, too, Joy. That ought n't to pan out very hard."

"Everybody's," she went on, "and for everything; I think it is what we can live on."

Owen laughed softly.

mense reassurance that Owen could n't mean what she did n't like. Of course he was only laughing about Julia.

"It would be quite perfect, of course," she said; "that 's what 's so wonderful, Owen. I can really like you both together now; I don't have only to like you because you 're Julia's husband."

"I'm glad you 've got as far as that," said Owen, with a mocking little smile. "Do you believe in friendship between men and women, Joy? There are people, you know, who think it can't be done. One or the other tumbles into love.

it."

That's the idea, I take

"Well, they might, of course," Joy agreed, "if they were n't either of them married."

Owen said nothing at all to this; he amused himself by drawing patterns on the leaves with the point of his

"I wonder," said Joy, "if I might ask you something, Owen-something I want?"

"Don't you know," he answered, without turning his eyes from the leaf mold he was engaged with, "by now, little Joy, that you may ask me anything in the world, and that, practically speaking, I am incapable of refusing you?"

"That 's because you 're so kind," said Joy. "I notice you hardly ever refuse anybody anything. What I want to ask you is, may Nina Mullory stay on till after Christmas? I'm going to stay, you know, and I thought it would be nice if she could, too."

Owen did not answer for a moment; then he said:

"But what does Julia say?"

"Julia," replied Joy, "says that Miss Mullory is your secretary, and you can make any arrangements you like, of course."

"But I may n't if you won't let me," said Owen, quickly. "What do you want Nina to stay for?"

"It must be so horrid," said Joy, "to have to have Christmas in a hostel. Do you know, Owen, I never realized before that there were hundreds and thousands of girls having to live in ugly places without homes. It 's rather awful, is n't it? And Nina is happy here. She likes me now. She did n't at first, but she 's very kind about me now. I'd like her awfully to stay."

"Then it 's settled, is n't it?" said it's Owen, a little impatiently. "I can't refuse you anything you'd like. Only, Joy, quite seriously, I don't advise it. Miss Mullory is quite a good person for a secretary, but she is n't a bit suit

"Oh, but, Owen, she would n't," said Joy, reproachfully. “You ought to know her better than that. She's kind."

"She might say things you did n't like," persisted Owen. "I'd far rather have her in London. You see how Julia behaves to her, don't you? She gives orders for her to be made comfortable and leaves her alone.”

"But can you be very comfortable when you are left alone," Joy asked diffidently-"not when there 's another girl in the house being treated differently, can you?”

"Well, there you are," said Owen; "that's just my point. Would n't it be simpler not to have her in the house? Julia would n't stand it, you know, if she were up. She'd think a it gêne."

"I can see that," said Joy, "because, of course, you two like best to be alone together. But just till Julia is up, might n't she stay?"

"She can do exactly as you like," said Owen; "but must we go on talking about her? I have been thinking ever since you came back about your eyes, and now I 've just discovered what they 're like: they 're the color of very blue corn-flowers."

"Are they?" said Joy, with unembarrassed interest. "Have you noticed Julia's? They 're like a very gray wave, oh, such a deep-gray wave, just before it breaks. You can't get to the bottom of them. be exactly the same." youngest twin.

Tom's are going to
Tom was the

Owen said something quite unintelligible under his breath; then be broke up the picture he had made with the leaf-mold.

"Joy," he said laughingly, "when

did you learn to be as wise as the children of the world when you are so markedly one of the children of light?" "I'm not wise at all," said Joy. "What do you mean, Owen?"

But Owen did not tell her what he meant. He only rose up rather suddenly, and walked out of the circle of beech-trees, which were as quiet as prayer.

XIII

When they got back that evening Joy thought that Nina must be going to have influenza. She still sat over the fire, shivering. Owen was in his most delightful mood; he asked Joy to play his accompaniments, and got out an old album full of songs. He had a light, clear baritone with a great deal of expression; all his songs were love songs. He sang them like a man inspired, and Nina sat crouching over the fire without turning her head. Joy left the door open, and Julia's door up-stairs, so that she could hear the gay, touching voice full of ardor and supplication. She thought that Julia must feel almost as if Owen was talking to her. Joy did not dream that Owen sang only for her, that his eyes

never left her face, while every nerve in him responded passionately to the extravagant praises he sent out upon the air to reach her heart.

He sang on and on, until at length the drooping little figure of Nina rose up and left the room. Owen stopped abruptly then and closed the door after her.

"Come and rest a little," he said to Joy, drawing a deep breath. "I think I've sung myself out."

"I want to go up to Julia," Joy objected. She wondered a little that Owen himself did not suggest going to Julia after those songs.

"No, not just yet," Owen pleaded; "stay a little with me."

Joy sat down by the fire in a kind of dream; her heart seemed swung out of her body upon a tide of music. The silence of the room was full of remembered sound. The great claims and promises of love, set to such lilting tunes, besieged her imagination. All this enchanted, perilous secret was still unlearned.

Owen moved about the room restlessly for a minute or two, then sat down on the floor by the fire and leaned back against her knees.

Joy kneeled down by her open window. It was very dark outside, and the rain fell again, persistently, but without violence. She thought of her home, and all the beauty of the hills and sea came vividly before her. She almost heard the waterfalls whispering and withdrawing their innumerable secrets; the memory of the open moors, held high against the sky, came like a sudden freshness upon her spirit. She thought of Rock Lodge with a fixity of all her being, as if she were seeing it for the last time. Then she heard a light tap at her door. Nina entered hurriedly as if she were frightened, but for a moment or two she said nothing. Then she began to speak quickly and as if she were forcing herself to a task which was half against her will.

"I have come," she said, "to tell you something. You 've been kind to me. I don't know whether I ought to speak or not, but I can't stand it. You've You've got to know. Won't you sit down somewhere, and not kneel as if you were saying your prayers?"

Joy moved a chair forward for Nina. "You 're very tired," she said softly. "I hoped you had gone to sleep, or else I should have come in to ask how you were."

"Sleep? No, it's not likely I should sleep," said Nina. "Sit there yourself. I can't sit down. Has n't Mrs. Ransome told you anything at all?"

Joy shook her head.

"But if it's something about Julia," she said quickly, "don't tell me. She herself would if she wanted me to know."

"It is n't only about her," said Nina in a quick, breathless voice; "it's about the whole thing, and I 've a right to speak. I don't know whether I'd better or not, but I know I 've a

right. It does n't seem like a friend to have you here and risk anything, but I never have been able to make her out, anyway. I could n't expect her to stand me, but before she knew, she need n't always have behaved as if it was her business to be kind, not as if she wanted to be. There 's things a girl can't stand-what he said to me to-night. He ought n't to have said it; and then to sing all those songs-he used to call them mine-to sing them as if I was n't there. He thinks I'm not made of flesh and blood, that's all, or else he just does n't care.

"If a man like Owen is in love with you, he runs blind like a horse in blinkers. It's only you he sees, and if he is n't in love with you, he does n't think of you at all. You are n't a human being; you 're just a thing in the way. I'm going to-morrow, anyhow. I'm fed up. Look here, Miss Featherstone dear, do you know anything at all?"

Joy stared blankly at her, like a creature fascinated.

"Well," said Nina, "I 'm not what you'd call respectable. Do you understand that? And it 's Owen Ransome's fault that I'm not. I did n't mean any harm when I came here; I'll swear I did n't. I just came for the lark; I've been fond of him for years. It's only been on and off, you know, on his part, but I 've stood that. You 're always having to stand something if you 're in love. He's like that. She knows it, Mrs. Ransome does. She's done everything to keep him, turned the house upside down, and filled it with God knows who because he likes queer fish. She's stood by him time and time again when he 's got into a mess. About six months ago he as near as makes no matter got