‘You know what grandfather has been telling me?’ she said at length, regarding him with grave eyes.

‘Yes.  He told me of his intention.’

’I asked him if I might speak to you about it.  It was bard to understand at first.’

‘It would be, I’ve no doubt.’

Jane moved a little, took up some sewing, and seated herself.  Sidney let his hat drop on to the chair, but remained standing, his arms resting on the back,

It’s a very short time since I myself knew of it,’ he continued.  ‘Till then, I as little imagined as you did that—­’ He paused, then resumed more quickly, ’But it explains many things which I had always understood in a simpler way.’

‘I feel, too, that I know grandfather much better than I did,’ Jane said.  ’He’s always been thinking about the time when I should be old enough to hear what plans he’d made for me.  I do so hope he really trusts me, Mr. Kirkwood!  I don’t know whether I speak about it as he wishes.  It isn’t easy to say all I think, but I mean to do my best to be what he—­’

’He knows that very well.  Don’t be anxious; he feels that all his hopes have been realised in you.’

There was silence.  Jane made a pretence of using her needle, and Sidney watched her hands.

‘He spoke to you of a lady called Mrs. Lant?’ were his next words.

‘Yes.  He just mentioned her.’

‘Are you going to see her soon?’

‘I don’t know.  Have you seen her?’

’No.  But I believe she’s a woman you could soon he friendly with.  I hope your grandfather will ask her to come here before long.’

‘I’m rather afraid of strangers.’

‘No doubt,’ said the other, smiling.  ’But you’ll get over that.  I shall do my best to persuade Mr. Snowdon to make you acquainted with her.’

Jane drew in her breath uneasily.

‘She won’t want me to know other people, I hope?’

‘Oh, if she does, they’ll be kind and nice and easy to talk to.’

Jane raised her eyes and said half-laughingly: 

’I feel as if I was very childish, and that makes me feel it still more.  Of course, if it’s necessary, I’ll do my best to talk to strangers.  But they won’t expect too much of me, at first?  I mean, if they find me a little slow, they won’t be impatient?’

’You mustn’t think that hard things are going to be asked of you.  You’ll never be required to say or do anything that you haven’t already said and done many a time, quite naturally.  Why, it’s some time since you began the kind of work of which your grandfather has been speaking.’

‘I have begun it?  How?’

’Who has been such a good friend to Pennyloaf, and helped her as nobody else could have done?’

‘Oh, but that’s nothing!’

Sidney was on the point of replying! but suddenly altered his intention.  He raised himself from the leaning attitude, and took his hat.