"You think he's not appreciative enough about the house, don't you, Tora?" she asked. "I think he just hates it, but I really don't know why." "It's not his own house that he hates; it's my chimneys." "Your chimneys? What in the world do you mean?" "He can see them from his study window--just where he wants to be undisturbed." Tora might be a profound speculative thinker, but, no, she was not quick in the little matters of the world. "Do you mean to say that the man objects to seeing any single house from his windows? Really Dick is putting on airs!" "It depends on who lives in the single house." "But you live there." Tora stared at her. "Have you quarrelled with him? Do you mean to say he dislikes you?" Winnie broke into a laugh. "On the contrary, Tora." At last light dawned. A long-drawn "Oh!" proclaimed its coming. "I see. I never do notice things like that. Then you've refused him, have you?" "Oh no, he's never asked me. He never told me anything about it--not directly, or meaning to, at least." This qualification in view of the talk at the railway station. "But I'm sure of it." "Then why doesn't he tell you? Or have you snubbed him hopelessly?" "I haven't done much either way, but it's not that. You see, he thinks that he's not free to marry me, and that I'm not free to marry anybody." "Then he'd better stop thinking such nonsense," said Tora, with her habitual and most unphilosophical contempt for other people's opinions. "I don't know about that." Winnie shook her head doubtfully. "But I think that it would ease the situation if you gave Stephen just a hint." "I'll go and tell him at once." Hints were not in Tora's line. The first result of her friend's mission which reached Winnie's ears was a ringing peal of laughter from the sanctum where the Synopsis was in course of preparation. It was Wednesday--a half-holiday for the assistants--and Stephen was alone. When once the situation was elucidated, he enjoyed the humour of it immensely. "Well, we have been a pair of dolts, you and I, Tora. Poor old Dick! He must have been wishing us, and the house too, at the bottom of the sea. But what's to be done?" "Why, you must tell him not to be so silly, of course; I don't know what she'll say, but let him take his chance." "I'm getting a bit shy of taking a hand in these complications. We didn't make much of a success out of the Ledstone affair, among us! I think I shall let it alone, and leave them to settle it for themselves." "You never have the courage of your convictions. It's one of your worst faults, Stephen." With this condemnation on her lips, Tora departed into the garden. When Winnie went in to resume her labours, Stephen looked up from his books with a twinkle in his eye. "Trouble again, Winnie?" "I really thought you'd better know about it, or you'd burn Dick's house down." "You seem to have a knack of setting fires ablaze too."