But he himself had changed; the place had had its influence on him, and he was beginning to see the beauty of these improvements, these manufactures, these hard straight lines and gaunt ugly squares. Progress? Progress? Inevitable?--yes! Useful?--why, yes, too! But beautiful?--Well, perhaps ... he did not know. At the top of the hill he turned and saluted the cold grey sky and sea and moor. The Four Stones were in harmony to-day: white, and pearl-grey, with hints of purple in their shadows--oh beautiful and mysterious world! He went into the Bethels' to call for Mary. Bethel appeared for a moment at the door of his study and shouted-- "Hullo! Harry, my boy! Frightfully busy cataloguing! Going out for a run in a minute!"--the door closed. His daughter's engagement seemed to have made little difference to him. He was pleased, of course, but Harry wondered sometimes whether he realised it at all. Not so Mrs. Bethel. Arrayed in gorgeous colours, she was blissfully happy. She was at the head of the stairs now. "Just a minute, Harry--Mary's nearly ready. Oh! my dear, you haven't been out in that thin waistcoat ... but you'll catch your death--just a minute, my dear, and let me get something warmer? Oh do! Now you're an obstinate, bad man! Yes, a bad, bad man"--but at this moment arrived Mary, and they said good-bye and were away. During the few weeks that they had been together there had been no cloud. Pendragon had talked, but they had not listened to it; they had been perfectly, ideally happy. They seemed to have known each other completely so long ago--not only their virtues but their faults and failures. With her arm in his they passed through the gate and found Robin waiting for them. "Hullo! you two! I've just heard from Macfadden. He suggests Catis in Dover Street for six months and then abroad. He thinks I ought to pass easily enough in a year's time--and then it will mean Germany!" His face was lighted with excitement. "Right you are!" cried Harry. "Anything that Macfadden suggests is sure to be pretty right. What do you say, Mary?" "Oh, I don't know anything about men's businesses," she said, laughing. "Only don't be too long away, Robin." They passed down the garden, the three of them, together. In Norfolk a woman sat at her window and watched the snow tumbling softly against the panes. The garden was a white sea--the hills loomed whitely beyond--the sky was grey with small white clouds, hanging like pillows heavily in mid-air. The snow whirled and tossed and danced. Clare turned slowly from the windows and drew down the blinds. THE END _Printed by_ R. & R. Clark, Limited, _Edinburgh_ BOOKS BY HUGH WALPOLE _NOVELS_ THE WOODEN HORSE MR. PERRIN AND MR. TRAILL THE GREEN MIRROR THE DARK FOREST THE SECRET CITY _ROMANCES_ MARADICK AT FORTY THE PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE FORTITUDE THE DUCHESS OF WREXE _BOOKS ABOUT CHILDREN_ THE GOLDEN SCARECROW JEREMY _BELLES-LETTRES_