The house was certainly very quiet when she had gone. Her letters were Miss Ward's greatest comfort. She wrote in the highest spirits, and beyond one or two slight mishaps, the tour seemed a great success. Thorold was back before Gentian was, but he seemed strangely absorbed when Miss Ward met him, and did not come to the house as often as was his custom. The days were closing in before Gentian returned. She sent a wire the day she expected to arrive, and turned up at the Cottage about seven o'clock one evening. Miss Ward was relieved to see her looking fit and well, though she thought her thinner—and Gentian took it as a compliment when she said so. "I do dislike to be plump," she said; "and I can assure you I've kept them on the go the whole time. But they've thoroughly enjoyed it, and so have I. Only they say they've had enough of the car for the present, and have given me a fortnight's holiday. What shall we do, Waddy? Is Cousin Thor home? Wasn't it queer? We ran up against a daughter of the man he is staying with! She had just arrived in Edinburgh when we were leaving. Her father is a rector down in Cornwall. Such a handsome girl! But we didn't cotton to each other. She talked of Cousin Thor in a patronizing, appropriative kind of way. Said he was a thorough good sort, and that she and he had a lot in common, and it was nice to think of having him as a possible neighbour soon. Now what did she mean by that? I didn't let her see I was curious, but I am most dreadfully and painfully so. Are you in his confidence? Before I went away you spoke as if he might be leaving us." "It was only conjecture, my dear. I know nothing, and have hardly seen him to speak to since he came back." "Oh, well, I'll ask him straight out. He'll tell me. Men can never keep a secret." And the very next afternoon Thorold appeared and found Gentian comfortably settled by the fire with a book. Miss Ward was out in the village doing a little shopping at the general shop there. "Well," he said; "you're back again. Had a good time?" "A heavenly one! And you?" Thorold drew up a chair to the fire, and rubbed his hands together, looking reflectively into the glowing coals. "I'm very glad I went down, very. I've come to rather a momentous decision. We've sometimes had talks together about work in life, haven't we? You rubbed it in one day when you talked of wanting to do something with your life." "Yes," said Gentian, twinkling her eyes as she looked at him, "but you discouraged me. I must always be content to stay where I am and do what I'm bid—I am too young to strike out a new line for myself."