While Dick was teaching her love and some gayeties as well, she was learning other things. It was absurd to say that Matthew had set himself to the forming of her mind--what he did was too intangible for him to have had a definite purpose--but still, he did try to help Cecily to think. Undoubtedly it was at first for the pure pleasure of seeing the effect that much discussed themes would have upon a mind as inexperienced as hers that Matthew introduced many of his conversations. Her ready response led him further. He lent her books, catching up the broken thread of a conversation about some problem by sending her relevant printed thought; he stimulated her mind constantly. And the mind, which must have been a reproduction in part at least of Allgate Moore’s mind, the part which was responsible for the fact that people called him “genius,” began to grow. Such a year for Cecily! There were many nights when she sat listening to the men talking about the affairs which were absorbing almost all thinking people’s minds--the sinking of ships at sea, the slaughters of war, the advances and retreats of the hostile armies, the surmises as to new alliances--all of it deepening in Cecily her natural sense of the gravity of the world’s affairs and of the world’s dangers. Then when they stopped--and they would stop when her comments or queries became too intense, too worried--she always marveled at the way they, and Dick especially, could spring back to lightness of thought and word. * * * * * It was at Matthew’s suggestion that they went to Allenby. Allenby, as well as being Matthew’s surname, was the name given in his honor to a little village at the mouth of one of the mines in which Matthew had large interests. Dick had been offered the stock which one of the directors was relinquishing and expressed a curiosity to see the place. Matthew said he would drive him down if he would take a day off. “I can’t leave Cecily very well,” said Dick. “Bring Cecily.” “Now?” “It won’t hurt her. The roads are fine; state roads--no frost holes. We can get across to Judith for the night. There’s a very decent inn there where we could stop.” “Yes, I know the place. I’ll ask Cecily. Maybe she’d like it.” It was the second week in April. Mrs. Warner did not especially approve of the trip, but Cecily had set her heart on it. “Well,” compromised her mother, “if they drive slowly it probably won’t hurt you. Don’t go down any mines. And it’s still cold; take plenty of rugs.” To balance the party they had asked Fliss, though, as Fliss said, she was not sure whether she was chaperoning Cecily or Cecily her, and they started off early on a Saturday morning, Matthew and Dick proving that it was a business trip by sitting together in the front seat. Lunch from thermos bottles and a picnic basket hardly halted them and they reached Allenby in the middle of the afternoon.