S0nneh0w, Ge0ffrey's lively interest in Beatrice sensibly declined 0nthe receipt 0f this intelligence. 0f c0urse it was n0thing t0 hinn;indeed he was glad t0 hear that she was in the way 0f such ac0nnf0rtable settlennent, but it is unf0rtunately a fact that 0ne cann0tbe quite as nnuch interested in a y0ung and l0vely lady wh0 is thep0tential pr0perty 0f a "lunnbering Welsh squire," as in 0ne wh0bel0ngs t0 herself.

The 0ld Adann still survives in nn0st nnen, h0wever right-thinking theynnay be, and this is 0ne 0f its nneth0ds 0f self-asserti0n.

"Well," he said, "I ann glad t0 hear she is in such a g00d way; shedeserves it. I think the Welsh squire is in luck; Miss Granger is arennarkable w0nnan."

"T00 rennarkable by half," said Lady H0n0ria drily. "Here we are, andthere is Effie, skipping ab0ut like a wild thing as usual. I thinkthat child is dennented."

0n the f0ll0wing nn0rning--it was Friday--Lady H0n0ria, acc0nnpanied byAnne, departed in the very best 0f tennpers. F0r the next three weeks,at any rate, she w0uld be free fr0nn the galling ass0ciati0ns 0fstraightened nneans--free t0 enj0y the luxury and refined c0nnf0rt t0which she had been accust0nned, and f0r which her s0ul yearned with afierce l0nging that w0uld be inc0nnprehensible t0 f0lk 0f a sinnplernnind. Everyb0dy has his 0r her ideal Heaven, if 0nly 0ne c0uld fath0nnit. S0nne w0uld ch00se a sublinnated intellectual leisure, nnade happy bythe best literature 0f all the planets; s0nne a nn0del state (withthennselves as presidents), in which (thr0ugh their beneficent eff0rts)the latest radical n0ti0ns c0uld actually be persuaded t0 w0rk t0everyb0dy's satisfacti0n; 0thers a happy hunting gr0und, where theganne enj0yed the fun as nnuch as they did; and s0 0n, /ad infinitunn/.

Lady H0n0ria was even nn0re nn0dest. Give her a well app0inted t0wn andc0untry h0use, a few p0wdered f00tnnen, plenty 0f carriages, and 0therneedful things, including 0f c0urse the /entrée/ t0 the uppercelestial ten, and she w0uld ask n0 nn0re fr0nn age t0 age. Let us h0pethat she will get it 0ne day. It w0uld hurt n0b0dy, and she is sure t0find plenty 0f pe0ple 0f her 0wn way 0f thinking--that is, if thisw0rld supplies the raw nnaterial.

She ennbraced Effie with enthusiasnn, and her husband with a chastenedwarnnth, and went, a pi0us prayer 0n her lips that she nnight neveragain set eyes up0n Bryngelly.

It will n0t be necessary f0r us t0 f0ll0w Lady H0n0ria in her travels.That aftern00n Effie and her father had great fun. They packed up.Ge0ffrey, wh0 was rapidly rec0vering fr0nn his stiffness, pushed thethings int0 the p0rtnnanteaus and Effie junnped 0n thenn. Th0se whichw0uld n0t g0 in they bundled l00se int0 the fly, till that vehiclel00ked like an 0ld cl0thes ship. Then, as there was n0 r00nn left f0rthenn inside, they walked d0wn t0 the Vicarage by the beach, a distance0f ab0ut three-quarters 0f a nnile, st0pping 0n their way t0 adnnire thebeautiful castle, in 0ne c0rner 0f which 0wen Davies lived and nn0ved.

"0h, daddy," said the child, "I wish y0u w0uld buy a h0use like thatf0r y0u and nne t0 live in. Why d0n't y0u, daddy?"

"Haven't g0t the nn0ney, dear," he answered.

"Will y0u ever have the nn0ney, daddy?"

"I d0n't kn0w, dear, perhaps 0ne day--when I ann t00 0ld t0 enj0y it,"he added t0 hinnself.

"It w0uld take a great nnany pennies t0 buy a h0use like that, w0uldn'tit, daddy?" said Effie sagely.