"Yes, sir; 'twouldn't seem like as if we was truly expecting and hoping
unless we did our best to be ready."

The fervour of her answer surprised him.

For some time past Winifred Rexford had been spending part of each
morning learning housewifery of Mrs. Martha. That day, because of the
rain, Trenholme insisted upon keeping her to dinner with him. He brought
her into his dining-room with playful force, and set her at the head of
his table. It was a great pleasure to him to have the child. He twitted
her with her improvement in the culinary art, demanding all sorts of
impossible dishes in the near future for his brother's entertainment. He
was surprised at the sedateness of her answers, and at a strange look of
excited solicitude that arose in her eyes. It seemed to him that she was
several times on the point of saying something to him, and yet she did
not speak.

"What is it, Princess Win?" he cried. "What is in your mind, little
one?"

He came to the conclusion that she was not very well. He got no
information from her on the subject of her health or anything else; but
thinking naturally that the change in the weather might have given her
cold, he took pains to wrap her in his own mackintosh and take her home
under his own large umbrella.

When there, he went in. He was greatly cheered by the idea that,
although he might not tell his mind that day, he was now and henceforth
courting Sophia openly, whatever befell; but the open courting, since it