"Tell me," said Estelle, "of a very good sort of wedding present for Mr. Ironsyde, when he marries Sabina next week." "A new temper, I should think," suggested Nancy. "He can't help being rather in a temper," explained Estelle, "because they can't find a house." "Sabina can find plenty," answered the spinner. "It's him that's so hard to please." Sally Groves strove to curb Nancy's tongue. "You mind your own business," she said. "Mr. Ironsyde wants everything just so, and why not?" "Because it ain't a time to be messing about, I should think," retorted Nancy. "And it's for the woman to be considered, not him." Then Estelle, in all innocence, asked a shattering question. "Is it true Sabina is going to have a baby? One or two girls in the mill told me she was, but I asked my father, and he seemed to be annoyed and said, of course not. But I hope it's true--it would be lovely for Sabina to have a baby to play with." "So it would then," declared Sally Groves, "but I shouldn't tell nothing about it for the present, miss." "Least said, soonest mended," said Mercy Gale. "It's like this," explained Sally Groves with clumsy goodness: "they'll want to keep it for a surprise, miss, and I dare say they'd be terrible disappointed if they thought anybody knew anything about it yet." Nancy Buckler laughed. "I reckon they would," she said. "So don't you name it, miss," continued Sally. "Don't you name the word yet awhile." Estelle nodded. "I won't then," she promised. "I know how sad it is, if you've got a great secret, to find other people know it before you want them to." "Beastly sad," said Nancy, as she went her way, and the child looked after her puzzled. "I believe Nancy's jealous of Sabina," she said. Then it was Sally Groves who laughed and her merriment shook the billows of her mighty person. Estelle found herself somewhat depressed as she went home. Not so much the words as the general spirit of these comments chilled her. After luncheon she visited her father's study and talked to him while he smoked. "What perfectly beautiful thing can I get for Ray and Sabina for a wedding present?" He cleaned his pipe with one of the crow's feathers Estelle was used to collect for him. They stood in vases on the mantel-shelf. "It's a puzzler," confessed Arthur Waldron. "D'you think Ray has grown bad-tempered, father?" "Do you?" "No, I'm sure I don't. He is a little different, but that's because he's going to be married. No doubt people do get a little different, then. But Nancy Buckler at the Mill said she thought the best wedding present for him would be a new temper." "That's the sort of insolent things people say, I suppose, behind his back. It's all very unfortunate in my opinion, Estelle." "It's frightfully unfortunate Ray leaving us, because, after he's married, he must have a house of his own; but it isn't unfortunate his marrying Sabina, I'm sure."