with few visitors. Eve at once led the way upstairs to a certain
suite of rooms, hung with uninteresting pictures, where she and
Hilliard had before this spent an hour safe from disturbance. She
placed herself in the recess of a window: her companion took a few
steps backward and forward.

"Let me do what I wish," he urged. "There's a whole long winter
before us. I am sure I could find a couple of rooms at a very low
rent, and some old woman would come in to do all that's necessary."

"If you like."

"I may? You would come there?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course I would come. But I sha'n't like to see you in a bare,
comfortless place."

"It needn't be that. A few pounds will make a decent sort of
sitting-room."

"Anything to tell me?" Eve asked, abruptly quitting the subject.

She seemed to be in better spirits than of late, notwithstanding the
evil sky; and Hilliard smiled with pleasure as he regarded her.

"Nothing unusual. Oh, yes; I'm forgetting. I had a letter from
Emily, and went to see her."

Hilliard had scarcely seen his quondam sister-in-law since she
became Mrs. Marr. On the one occasion of his paying a call, after