He assented eagerly, with a shake of his broad shoulders as though to rid himself of the disagreeable burden of his thoughts.
From the window of his wife's sitting-room Major Durward watched the two as they started on their way to the village, evidently on the best of terms with one another, a placid smile spreading beneficently over his face as they vanished round the corner of the shrubbery.
"Anything in it, do you think ?" he asked, seeing that Elisabeth's gaze had pursued the same course.
"It's impossible to say," she answered quietly.

"Tim imagines himself to be falling in love, I don't doubt; but at twenty-two a boy imagines himself in love with half the girls he meets." "I didn't," declared Geoffrey promptly.

"I fell in love with you at the mature age of nineteen--and I never fell out again." Elisabeth flashed him a charming smile.
"Perhaps Tim may follow in your footsteps, then," she suggested serenely.
"Well, would you be pleased ?" persisted her husband, jerking his head explanatorily in the direction in which Sara and Tim had disappeared.
"I shall always be pleased with the woman who makes Tim happy," she answered simply.
Durward was silent a moment; then he returned to the attack.
"She's a very pretty young woman, don't you think ?" "Sara?
No, I shouldn't call her exactly pretty.

Her face is too thin, and strong, and eager.

But she is a very uncommon type--like a black and white etching, and immensely attractive." It was several days before Sara was able to introduce the topic of Tim's profession, but she contrived it one afternoon when she and Elisabeth were sitting together awaiting the return of the two men for tea.
"It will be profession enough for Tim to look after the property," Elisabeth made answer.