along, believing, fearing, hoping, loving, glad to live while I
may, not afraid to die when I must. The only detachment worth
having is the detachment from the idea of making things one's own.
I can't appropriate the sunset and the spring, the loves and cares
of others; it is all divided up, more fairly than we think. I have
had many sorrows and sufferings; but I am more interested than ever
in life, glad to help and be helped, ready to change, desiring to
change. It isn't a great way of living; but one must not want that--
and believe me, dear Howard, it is the only way."






VIII

THE INHERITANCE





The first day or two of Howard's stay at Windlow seemed like a
week, the succeeding week seemed like a day, as soon as he had
settled down to a certain routine of life. He became aware of a
continued sympathetic and quite unobtrusive scrutiny of him, his
ways, his tastes, his thoughts, on the part of his aunt--her
questions were subtle, penetrating, provocative enough for him to
wish to express an opinion. He did not dislike it, and used no