’I think you will have to tell all this to my father yourself, if you mean to make your peace.  Why can you not come on to the Hall when you leave the Towers?’

To go in the cool manner suggested from one house to another, after the manner of a royal progress, was not at all according to Molly’s primitive home-keeping notions.  She made answer,—­

’I should like it very much, some time.  But I must go home first.  They will want me more than ever now—­’

Again she felt herself touching on a sore subject, and stopped short.  Roger became annoyed at her so constantly conjecturing what he must be feeling on the subject of Cynthia’s marriage.  With sympathetic perception she had discerned that the idea must give him pain; and perhaps she also knew that he would dislike to show the pain:  but she had not the presence of mind or ready wit to give a skilful turn to the conversation.  All this annoyed Roger, he could hardly tell why.  He determined to take the metaphorical bull by the horns.  Until that was done, his footing with Molly would always be insecure; as it always is between two friends, who mutually avoid a subject to which their thoughts perpetually recur.

‘Ah, yes!’ said he.  ’Of course you must be of double importance now Miss Kirkpatrick has left you.  I saw her marriage in The Times yesterday.’

His tone of voice was changed in speaking of her, but her name had been named between them, and that was the great thing to accomplish.

‘Still,’ he continued, ’I think I must urge my father’s claim for a short visit, and all the more, because I can really see the apparent improvement in your health since I came,—­only yesterday.  Besides, Molly,’ it was the old familiar Roger of former days who spoke now, ’I think you could help us at home.  Aimee is shy and awkward with my father, and he has never taken quite kindly to her,—­yet I know they would like and value each other, if some one could but bring them together,—­and it would be such a comfort to me if this could take place before I have to leave.’

‘To leave—­are you going away again?’

’Yes.  Have you not heard?  I did not complete my engagement.  I am going again in September for six months.’

’I remember.  But somehow I fancied—­you seemed to have settled down into the old ways at the Hall.’

’So my father appears to think.  But it is not likely I shall ever make it my home again; and that is partly the reason why I want my father to adopt the notion of Aimee’s living with him.  Ah, here are all the people coming back from their walk.  However, I shall see you again:  perhaps this afternoon we may get a little quiet time, for I have a great deal to consult you about.’