‘I am glad,’ she repeated steadily, ’very glad—­especially—­for Mr. Desmond.’

‘Oh, Desmond!’ the Squire threw out impatiently, beginning again to walk up and down.

‘He would have minded so dreadfully,’ she said, still in a lower key.  ’It was really him I was thinking of.  Of course I had no right to interfere with your affairs—­’

The Squire turned, the tyrant in him reviving fast.

’Well, you did interfere—­and to some purpose!  Now then—­yes or no—­is your notice withdrawn?’

Elizabeth hesitated.

‘I would willingly stay with you,’ she said, ‘if—­’

‘If what?’

She looked up with a sudden flash of laughter.

‘If we can really get on!’

‘Name your terms!’ He returned, frowning and excited, to the neighbourhood of the Roman emperor.

‘Oh no—­I have no terms,’ she said hurriedly.  ’Only—­if you ask me to help you with the land, I should want to obey the Government—­and—­and do the best for the war.’

‘Condition No. 1,’ said the Squire grimly, checking it off.  ‘Go on!’

’And—­I should—­perhaps—­beg you to let Pamela do some V.A.D. work, if she wants to.’

‘Pamela is your affair!’ said the Squire impatiently.  ’If you stay here, you are her chaperon, and, for the present, head of the household.’

‘Only just for the present—­till Pamela can do it!’ put in Elizabeth hastily.  ‘But she’s nineteen—­she ought to take a part.’

’Well, don’t bother me about that.  You are responsible.  I wash my hands of her.  Anything else?’

It did not do to think of Pamela’s feelings, should she ever become aware of how she was being handed over.  But the mention of her, on a sudden impulse, had been pure sympathy on Elizabeth’s part; a wish to strike on the girl’s behalf while the iron was so very hot.  She looked up quietly.

’No, indeed there is nothing else—­except indeed—­that you won’t expect me to hide what I feel about the war—­and the little we at home can do to help—­’

Her voice failed a little.  The Squire said nothing.  She went on, with a clearing countenance.

’So—­if you really wish it—­I will stay, Mr. Mannering—­and try to help you all I can.  It was splendid of you—­to give up your plans.  I’m sure you won’t regret it.’

’I’m not sure at all—­but it’s done.  Now, then, let us understand.  You take over my estate correspondence.  You’ll want a clerk—­I’ll find one.  You can appoint a new agent if you like.  You can do what you like, in fact.  I was never meant to be a landowner, and I hate the whole business.  You can harry the farmers as you please—­I shan’t interfere.’

‘Allow me to point out,’ said Elizabeth firmly, ’that at college I was not trained in land-agency—­but in Greek!’

’What does that matter?  If women can build Dreadnoughts, as they say they can, they can manage estates.  Now, then, as to my conditions.  Do what you like—­but my book and the catalogue come first!’ He looked at her with an exacting eye.