thinking all the while of asking you to remain, but was afraid you would
not care to live here.'

'Not care to live here! But you'll get tired of us; we might quarrel.'

'No; we shall never quarrel. You will be doing me a great favour by
remaining. Just fancy living alone in this great house, not a soul to speak
to all day! I'm sure I should end by going out and hanging myself on one of
those trees.'

'You wouldn't do that, would you?'

Hubert laughed. 'You and Mrs. Bentley will be doing me a great favour by
remaining. If you go away I shall be robbed right and left, the gardens
will go to rack and ruin, and when you come down here you won't know the
place, and then, perhaps, we shall quarrel.'

'I shouldn't like Ashwood to go to rack and ruin--and my poor flowers! And
I'm sure you'd forget to feed the swans. If you did that, I could not
forgive you.'

'Well, let these grave considerations decide you to remain.'

'Are you really serious?'

'I never was more serious in my life.'

'Well then, may I run and tell Julia?'

'Certainly, and I'll--no, I won't. I'll look up the housemaids and tell