Jean was delighted at this evidence that Judith was thawing towards her. She was genuinely anxious that they should become friends, feeling that it was up to her, as Glyn’s daughter, to atone--in so far as friendliness and sympathy could be said to atone--for his treatment of her. Beyond this, she had a vague hope that later, if she and Judith ever became intimate enough to touch on the happenings of the past, she might be able to make the latter see her father in the same light in which she herself saw him--as a charming, lovable, irresponsible child, innocent of any intention to wound, but with all a child’s unregarding pursuit of a desired object, irrespective of the consequences to others. She felt that if only Judith could better comprehend Glyn’s nature, she would not only be disposed to judge him less hardly, but, to a certain extent, would find healing for her own bitterness of resentment and hurt pride. Judith was an unhappy woman, embittered by one of those blows in life which a woman finds hardest to hear. And Jean hated people to be unhappy. So that it was with considerable satisfaction that she set out across the park towards Willow Perry, crossing the river by the footbridge which spanned it at a point about a quarter of a mile below the scene of her boating mishap. Judith welcomed her with unaccustomed warmth, and after lunch completely won her heart by a candour seemingly akin to Jean’s own. “I’ve been quite hateful to you since you came to Staple,” she said frankly. “Just because you were--who you were. I suppose”--turning her head a little aside--“you’ve heard--you know that old story?” Then, as Jean murmured an affirmative, she went on quickly: “Well, it was idiotic of me to feel unfriendly to you because you happened to be Glyn’s daughter, and I’m honestly ashamed of myself. I should have loved you at once--you’re rather a dear, you know!--if you had been anyone else. So will you let me love you now, please--if it isn’t too late?” It was charmingly done, and Jean received the friendly overture with all the enthusiasm dictated by a generous and spontaneous nature. “Why, of course,” she agreed gladly. “Let’s begin over again”--smiling. Judith smiled back. “Yes, we’ll make a fresh start.” After that, things progressed swimmingly. The slight gene which had attended the earlier stages of the visit vanished, and very soon, prompted by Judith’s eager, interested questions, Jean found herself chatting away quite naturally and happily about her life before she came to Staple and confessing how much she was enjoying her first experience of England.