It was the first time she had been away from Pennyleat since she had come there before Christmas, and she realized with surprise how quickly the time had slipped away unnoticed. It was pleasant to travel comfortably in a first-class carriage and know that someone awaited her return in the evening, pleasant, too, to be welcomed sedately by Alice as one of the family.“We must do something for her in the holidays,” she told Dane on her return.“Do what?” he asked, listening to the fresh, eager note in her voice.“Give her some treats and a proper playroom of her own. There must be children somewhere round here who she could get to know.”“You think I’m a bad guardian?”“Oh, no! You’re very good to her, Dane, but children need young companionship. Alice is far too staid and old-fashioned for her age.”“Well, now she has you. You’re young enough to play. You even climb trees.”Emily sighed. He had, she thought, very little understanding of a child’s needs.“No, Emily, not as bone-headed as you think,”
