"Well, because you’re not friendly to her, and I want to be—poor old Granny! I suppose you’ve never got on well together. I used to feel it, though I didn’t think about it much. I think you both tried to keep it from me. I’d much rather you tried to get rid of that feeling, mother dear. It makes me unhappy, and you can’t hide it from me any longer. After all, Royd is her home. I’m rather sorry you left it. I liked to think of it with you and her here, just as it used to be." "Oh, I couldn’t stay here when you had gone. It was too much to ask of anybody. I suppose she’ll always be here—at least till you come of age and are master instead of her. Couldn’t we go away together—I don’t mean now, but after you’ve been here a little, to London or somewhere—just you and I together? I’ve had so little of you, Harry, all to myself. All the dull years here, while she has been everything and I have been nothing, I’ve looked forward to it—to having you to myself for a little, when you were grown up." She peered into his face, and saw a frown on it; but when he spoke it had cleared, and he spoke very kindly. "I may have to go to London before my leave is up," he said. "But I should want to go alone. And I don’t want to be away from Royd more than I can help. You’ve always belonged to Royd, mother, ever since I can remember. When I’m with you I’d rather be here than anywhere. Please don’t spoil it for me by making things difficult with Granny. I think I’ll go in to her now. I mustn’t keep her up late." She expostulated, plaintively, as they went towards the house together. She felt that he was slipping from her, and that nothing would be as she had pictured it, but she had not the self-control to spare him her complaints and appeals. He was always kind, but he was firm too, with a man’s firmness towards a weak and foolish woman. He had grown immeasurably in mental stature, and his determination impressed itself upon her increasingly. That mention of authority over him with which she had begun now seemed foolish even to her. As they went into the house she said: "Of course I don’t want to treat you like a boy any more. I only want to be sure that you don’t love anybody better than me. You do love me best, don’t you, Harry?" He bent down and kissed her. "You know I love you, mother," he said. "Now I’ll go and talk to Granny. Come and see me when I go to bed—say in half an hour—as you used to." That comforted her a little, and she went upstairs, while he went into the drawing-room where Lady Brent was still sitting where they had left her. "Well, Granny dear," he said. "I thought we’d have a little talk. I’ve got things to tell you." She laid down her work, and looked at him fondly, sitting in a low chair opposite to her, so young in appearance, as he sat there with his long legs stretched out, but, as she felt, so old in experience, and so different from the boy he had been.