you have everything you want; there is no bell into your maid's room,
but the housemaid can always fetch your maid."

Then she ushered Molly into the next room and, after briefly pointing
out its principal defects, she left her to rest her body and tire her
mind on a hard but gorgeously-upholstered couch until it should be time
to dress for dinner.




CHAPTER IX

A LITTLE MORE THAN KIND


Edmund Grosse felt more tolerant of Billy at Groombridge Castle than
elsewhere. At Groombridge he was looked upon as a kindly weakness of
Lord Groombridge's, who consulted him about the stables and enjoyed his
jokes. This position certainly made him more attractive to Edmund, but
he was not sorry that Billy, who seldom troubled a church, went there on
Easter Sunday morning and left him in undisturbed possession of the
terrace.

The sun was just strong enough to be delightful, and, with an
interesting book and an admirable cigar, it ought to have been a goodly
hour for Grosse. But the fact was that he had wished to walk to church
with Rose, and he had quite hoped that if it were only for his soul's
sake she would betray some wish for him to come. But if she didn't, he
wouldn't. He knew quite well that she would be pleased if he went, but