that the girls at the college expected the Saxons to return immediately
to Rotherwood, and were looking forward to being invited to
entertainments there during the coming autumn and winter. Ingred had
contrived to parry her friend's interested questions, but she felt the
time had come when she must be prepared to give some definite answer to
those who inquired about their future plans. She managed to catch her
mother alone next morning for a quiet chat.

"Mumsie, dear," she began. "I've been wanting to ask you this--are we
going back to Rotherwood after the holidays?"

Mrs. Saxon folded up her sewing, put her thimble and scissors away in
her work-basket, and leaned her elbow on the arm of the garden seat as
if prepared for conversation.

"And I've been wanting to talk to you about this, Ingred. Shall you be
very disappointed when I tell you 'No'?"

"Oh, Muvvie!" Ingred's tone was agonized.

"It can't be helped, little woman! It can't indeed! I think you're old
enough now to understand if I explain. You know this war has hit a great
many people very hard. There has been a sort of general financial
see-saw; some have made large fortunes, but others have lost them. We
come in the latter list. When your father went out to France, he had to
leave his profession to take care of itself, and other architects have
stepped in and gained the commissions that used to come to his office.
It may take him a long while to pull his connection together again, and
the time of waiting will be one of much anxiety for him. Then, most of
our investments, which used to pay such good dividends, are worth hardly