The decrepit station fly, mouldy and smelling of stables, bore her almost lovingly towards the Hall.  Its old driver, clean-faced, cheery, somewhat like a bird, drove her almost furiously, for, though he knew nothing, he felt that two whole days and half a day were quite long enough for her to be away.  At the lodge gate old Roy, the Skye, was seated on his haunches, and the sight of him set Mrs. Pendyce trembling as though till then she had not realised that she was coming home.

Home!  The long narrow lane without a turning, the mists and stillness, the driving rain and hot bright afternoons; the scents of wood smoke and hay and the scent of her flowers; the Squire’s voice, the dry rattle of grass-cutters, the barking of dogs, and distant hum of threshing; and Sunday sounds—­church bells and rooks, and Mr. Barter’s preaching; the tastes, too, of the very dishes!  And all these scents and sounds and tastes, and the feel of the air to her cheeks, seemed to have been for ever in the past, and to be going on for ever in the time to come.

She turned red and white by turns, and felt neither joy nor sadness, for in a wave the old life came over her.  She went at once to the study to wait for her husband to come in.  At the hoarse sound he made, her heart beat fast, while old Roy and the spaniel John growled gently at each other.

“John,” she murmured, “aren’t you glad to see me, dear?”

The spaniel John, without moving, beat his tail against his master’s foot.

The Squire raised his head at last.

“Well, Margery?” was all he said.

It shot through her mind that he looked older, and very tired!

The dinner-gong began to sound, and as though attracted by its long monotonous beating, a swallow flew in at one of the narrow windows and fluttered round the room.  Mrs. Pendyce’s eyes followed its flight.

The Squire stepped forward suddenly and took her hand.

“Don’t run away from me again, Margery!” he said; and stooping down, he kissed it.

At this action, so unlike her husband, Mrs. Pendyce blushed like a girl.  Her eyes above his grey and close-cropped head seemed grateful that he did not reproach her, glad of that caress.

“I have some news to tell you, Horace.  Helen Bellew has given George up!”

The Squire dropped her hand.

“And quite time too,” he said.  “I dare say George has refused to take his dismissal.  He’s as obstinate as a mule.”

“I found him in a dreadful state.”

Mr. Pendyce asked uneasily: 

“What?  What’s that?”

“He looked so desperate.”

“Desperate?” said the Squire, with a sort of startled anger.

Mrs. Pendyce went on: 

“It was dreadful to see his face.  I was with him this afternoon-”

The Squire said suddenly: 

“He’s not ill, is he?”

“No, not ill.  Oh, Horace, don’t you understand?  I was afraid he might do something rash.  He was so—­miserable.”