"Don't speak disrespectfully of my darling Château. I wish you could have come over before I left. Yes—he was telling me the other day that he has money and property from his own mother. He has done a great deal for Aunt Cecily. I am almost ashamed to think how much." "She ought to have got rid of that old house long ago." "She was deep in debts and misery, but it seemed quite hopeless to help her. And then it all came to a crisis as I wrote and told you, and now everything is fair and square—except her health. I can't bear to say it, but she is so gentle and quiet now that it makes everything easy. Poor Aunt Cecily! She will never play Bridge again. That was her great temptation. She always played for money. And never minded how high the stakes were—so of course she lost a good deal. She was not a brilliant player, so I was told. Now give me the village news." They talked on till they reached home. Adrienne wondered how she would have felt had she been coming back to take up her old home life again. As she entered the hall, she had a strange forlorn feeling that her place had been filled, and she was wanted no longer. Yet when she entered the drawing-room and met her uncle's wife, her grace and beauty and affectionate interest in her overcame the awkwardness of the meeting. Mrs. Chesterton was no longer young, she did not disguise her grey hair; she had naturally a good complexion, beautiful dark eyes, and a very charming smile. Tall and slight, she held herself with great dignity and composure. As she kissed Adrienne, she said: "Your uncle has been longing to see you. His happiness will be complete now. Dear Adrienne, I hope you will soon be as happy yourself as we are. You have youth and a long life in front of you. We have old age creeping on and life mostly behind us. But it is so good, so satisfying, to be together at last." "You have waited a long time," said Adrienne as she returned the kiss warmly. "I wonder now, why you waited so." "Just thirty years," said Mrs. Chesterton. She said no more, but as Adrienne caught her radiant smile of welcome to her uncle, who had followed her in, she felt content and glad that the long waiting for them was over. Those first few days were rather difficult. It seemed so unnatural to Adrienne to take a back seat in the home over which she had been mistress ever since she had left school. But she was very thorough in her abnegation, and more than once Mrs. Chesterton remonstrated with her. "Let us do things together, dear, as much as possible. Don't be always trying to retire and push me forward. And let me help you all I can with your trousseau. I have always been a busy woman with many irons in the fire; and just at first after town, this country life seems rather quiet and empty." "You won't move Uncle Derrick up to town?" Adrienne begged her. "He does so love the country, and all his councils and committees in our small town."