"He said it might happen any day," answered Vivien. "And, though we would have liked to see more of you. we all understand that a change would be the very best thing in the world for you. I’ve even had it in my mind to propose that you and I should take a little trip to Paris together next month, and that afterwards you might have gone back to Wimereaux. I have not been in Paris since I was a girl at school." "You were educated in Paris?" Vivien laughed rather sadly. "No--I was what they call finished there," she answered drearily. "A woman’s education is in the school of life. Mine has been hard enough, heaven knows! I have always hated Paris since, but still I should like to go there with you. I still have an apartment there. If you could let me know about what time you wish to come back I could join you or we could meet on the way, or even in Paris itself." The idea pleased Isla. If only there had been no obstacles in the way! "I’ve never been to Paris. I’ve seen nothing but Glenogle except--once in a great while--Barras and London." "Barras is lonely, isn’t it? But the Ogden Dresslers liked it." "It is an island in the Atlantic. But loneliness belongs not so much to places as to persons. I am never lonely--in the sense that you mean. But I think I could be so in a big city." "How long are you likely to be at Wimereaux?" "I don’t know. I have to get there first." "Will Sir Thomas and Lady Mackinnon stop there all winter?" "No. They will go back to Barras at the end of next month, I expect. My uncle is counting the days." "Ah, I don’t wonder at that from what your brother tells me about him! We expected Peter home in November, but his last letter to mother is not very reassuring. They are finding the Delaware Bridge more difficult than they expected. There is something puzzling about the river-bed. Peter seems to be working night and day." "But he will like that. He is never happier than when fighting obstacles," said Isla with a faint smile of remembrance. "That is so--at least it used to be so. But we thought from the letter yesterday that he was getting what we call plumb-tired of it. He wants to come back to Scotland--anyone can see that--and, of course, my mother’s illness has made us all anxious. But he doesn’t say a definite word about coming home." Isla was interested in these items of information concerning Peter Rosmead and his family. She was naturally sociable. It was only the habit of life forced upon her by circumstances that had fostered her reserve. With Vivien Rosmead, as with Peter, she always felt her heart expand. There was no reproach in Mrs. Rosmead’s eyes as, from her bed, she extended two warm hands of welcome to the desolate girl and drew her down towards her for a kiss. "My dear, why is it that you have been so long in coming. Your dear brother has made every excuse for you, but we wanted you--we wanted you very much."