Some time went by before Collingwood was asked to render service of any sort. At Normandale Grange, events progressed in apparently ordinary and normal fashion. Harper Mallathorpe was buried; his mother began to make some recovery from the shock of his death; the legal folk were busied in putting Nesta in possession of the estate, and herself and her mother in proprietorship of the mill and the personal property. In Barford, things went on as usual, too. Pratt continued his round of duties at Eldrick & Pascoe's; no more was heard--by outsiders, at any rate--of the stewardship at Normandale. As for Collingwood, he settled down in chambers and lodgings and, as Eldrick had predicted, found plenty of work. And he constantly went out to Normandale Grange, and often met Nesta elsewhere, and their knowledge of each other increased, and as the winter passed away and spring began to show on the Normandale woods and moors, Collingwood felt that the time was coming when he might speak. He was professionally engaged in London for nearly three weeks in the early part of that spring--when he returned, he had made up his mind to tell Nesta the truth, at once. He had faced it for himself--he was by that time so much in love with her that he was not going to let monetary considerations prevent him from telling her so. But Collingwood found something else than love to talk about when he presented himself at Normandale Grange on the morning after his arrival from his three weeks' absence in town. As soon as he met her, he saw that Nesta was not only upset and troubled, but angry. "I am glad you have come," she said, when they were alone. "I want some advice. Something has happened--something that bothers--and puzzles--me very, very much! I'm dreadfully bothered." "Tell me," suggested Collingwood. Nesta frowned--at some recollection or thought. "Yesterday afternoon," she answered, "I was obliged to go into Barford, on business. I left my mother fairly well---she has been recovering fast lately, and she only has one nurse now. Unfortunately, she, too, was out for the afternoon. I came back to find my mother ill and much upset---and there's no use denying it--she'd all the symptoms of having been--well, frightened. I can't think of any other term than that--frightened. And then I learned that, in my absence, Mr. Eldrick's clerk, Mr. Pratt--you know him--had been here, and had been with her for quite an hour. I am furiously angry!" Collingwood had expected this announcement as soon as she began to explain. So--the trouble was beginning! "How came Pratt to be admitted to your mother?" he asked.