The Vision of Desire

reet, found Ann busily engaged in cutting flowers. He greeted her with

ng." He handed her the solitary missive which the mail had broug

dressed in Robin's handwriting, and she carried it off to a

let I wanted-that of estate-agent to a big land-owner. The salary is a really generous one, and there's a jolly little cottage goes with it,

eronsmere, the Coventry place, is a fine old house-one of those old Elizabethan houses you're so cracked on. It reminds me a bit of Lovell Court. There'll be a lot to see to on the estate, as the bailiff in charge has just let things rip, and Coventry himself has be

really a part of the Heronsmere property. It's comparatively small, not much more than a little fishing village, but the tow

k Lady Susan would spare you? By the way, you won't need to exercise your mind over the servant question. Knowing you were fixed out in Switzerland, I wrote off at once

ried to imagine all the questions you wou

fectionate br

n filled her with undiluted joy, but she was conscious that the thought of leaving Lady Susan and dear, gunny Switzerland created an actual little ache in her heart. She could quit

the R?ve, and secondly to Lady Susan's incurable aversion to a hired boat. "They roll, my dear," she asserted, when Ann vainly tried to tempt her in

s and the odd, unnerving consciousness of the Englishman's close proximity. She would have liked to forget him, but there was something about the man which made this impossible. Ann admitted it to hersel

tion, whether he would ever return. Once she had even thought she descried him coming towards her along the Grand' Rue, and when the figure which she had supposed was his resolved itself, upon close

be to find her gone. She derived a certain feeling of relief from this thought. There was something disquieting about the man. He made you like and dislike him almost in the same breath. On

e house, somewhat troubled in mind as to how she should break the news of her impending depart

med Lady Susan, when An

think Fate is a good-na

still keep you, Ann. Yo

e

ed up in

live at Silverq

is in the neighbouring parish-Heronsfoot-about fi

e you know thi

liot. They were on very bad terms with each other, so that Eliot never came near the place in poor old Rack's time, and,

ck until now," said Ann. "He must ta

self adrift from England afterwards. I think the girl threw him over because in those days he wasn't rich enough.

" commented Ann, with a feeling that for

usan s

f it is that I suppose Eliot Coventry will never marry now, and so Heronsmere will ultimately go to a very distant branch of the family. He tried to get himself killed out of the way during the war, I hea

Ann. "That's why I'm so glad he's got this post. The doctors told him t

However, if Robin wants you he must have you, and as he wants you to go as soon as possible I

d no time in repining, but promptly proceed

you?" asked Ann

d there you can drop me to do some stopping

as hardly fair to desert Lady Susan so suddenly, much

longer?" she suggested earnestly. "I'm sure Robin could man

ick dark eyes f

a Coombe?" s

laug

Then, when Robin and I were kiddies she was our nurse, and after we grew too old to need one she stayed on in a sort of general capacity. I never remember life without Maria until she got mar

d to have his sister, too. And you needn't worry about me in the least. I've heaps of friends in Pari

e? He mentioned having met

les and can afford to do it, while Tony gambles-and can't. I haven't seen Brett for a long time now," she went on musingly. "Not since last August, when he was yachting and put in at

followed her meditatively. She liked the girl's supple ease of movement, the clean-cut lines of her small, pointed face. There was something very distinctive about her, s

Ann!" she exclaimed impulsivel

thought which had prompted the spontan

l insist on Robin's letting me come over to White

laughed and

l want to abduct you altogether!" she declar

s must be booked on board the train, last visits paid to various friends and acquaintances, and final arrangements made with regard to the shutting up of Mon R?ve. Last, but not least, there

tching the great Orient Express thunder up alongside. Followed a hurried gathering together of hand-baggage, a scramble up the steep steps of th