Nancy Buckler laughed.

“I reckon they would,” she said.

“So don’t you name it, miss,” continued Sally.  “Don’t you name the word yet awhile.”

Estelle nodded.

“I won’t then,” she promised.  “I know how sad it is, if you’ve got a great secret, to find other people know it before you want them to.”

“Beastly sad,” said Nancy, as she went her way, and the child looked after her puzzled.

“I believe Nancy’s jealous of Sabina,” she said.

Then it was Sally Groves who laughed and her merriment shook the billows of her mighty person.

Estelle found herself somewhat depressed as she went home.  Not so much the words as the general spirit of these comments chilled her.  After luncheon she visited her father’s study and talked to him while he smoked.

“What perfectly beautiful thing can I get for Ray and Sabina for a wedding present?”

He cleaned his pipe with one of the crow’s feathers Estelle was used to collect for him.  They stood in vases on the mantel-shelf.

“It’s a puzzler,” confessed Arthur Waldron.

“D’you think Ray has grown bad-tempered, father?”

“Do you?”

“No, I’m sure I don’t.  He is a little different, but that’s because he’s going to be married.  No doubt people do get a little different, then.  But Nancy Buckler at the Mill said she thought the best wedding present for him would be a new temper.”

“That’s the sort of insolent things people say, I suppose, behind his back.  It’s all very unfortunate in my opinion, Estelle.”

“It’s frightfully unfortunate Ray leaving us, because, after he’s married, he must have a house of his own; but it isn’t unfortunate his marrying Sabina, I’m sure.”

“I’m not sure at all,” confessed her father.  His opinion always carried the greatest weight, and she was so much concerned at this announcement that Arthur felt sorry he had spoken.

“You see, Estelle—­how can I explain?  I think Ray in rather too young to marry.”

“He’s well over twenty.”

“Yes, but he’s young for his age, and the things that he is keen about are not the things that a girl is keen about.  I doubt if he will make Sabina happy.”

“He will if he likes, and I’m sure he will like.  He can always make me happy, so, of course, he can make Sabina.  He’s really tremendously clever and knows all sorts of things.  Oh, don’t think it’s going to be sad, father.  I’m sure they’re both much too wise to do anything that’s going to be sad.  Because if Ray—­”

She stopped, for Raymond himself came in.  He had left early that morning to seek a house with Sabina.

“What luck?” said Waldron.

“We’ve found something that’ll do, I think.  Two miles out towards Chidcock.  A garden and a decent paddock and a stable.  But he’ll have to spend some money on the stable.  There’s a doubt if he will—­the landlord, I mean.  Sabina likes the house, so I hope it will be all right.”