"But what will you do yourself?" he asked very gently.

"I shall go away with her, and then--I wonder--" She hesitated, and
looked full into his face. "Would you be shocked if I took a flat by
myself? I don't want to hunt for another Mrs. Delaport Green just now."

Sir Edmund paused. It struck him for a moment as very tiresome that he
should be falling into the position of counsellor and guide to this
girl, while he had anything but her prosperity at heart. He looked at
her, and there was in her attitude a pathetic confidence in his
judgment.

"I don't want," she went on, holding her head very straight and looking
away to the wooded hills, "I don't want to do anything unconventional."

A deep blush overspread the dark face--a blush of shame and hesitation,
for the words, "your mother's daughter ought to be more careful than
other girls," so often in poor Molly's mind, were repeated there now.

"If there were an old governess, or some one of that sort," suggested
Sir Edmund, with hesitation.

"Oh yes, yes!" cried Molly eagerly; "there is one, if I could only get
her. Oh, thank you, yes! I wonder I did not think of that before." And
she gave a happy, youthful laugh at this solution.

"Is it some one you really care for?" asked Edmund, with growing
interest.

"I don't know about really caring"--Molly looked puzzled--"but she would