mother, and she idolized him. She was prepared, too, to find in Helen, when she became his wife, all that she found lacking in Judy.
Prayers over, breakfast immediately followed. It was usually a quiet meal, enlivened only by excursions after food, and the rustle of newspapers. But this morning there was an uncommon amount of talk. It went as follows:
Mr. Pendleton: "Gordon, I hope you haven't forgotten you are lunching with Sir William to-day at his club."
Gordon: "No, father. I hadn't forgotten. Won't you be there too?"
Mr. Pendleton: "Unfortunately, it is not possible. I have a very trying day ahead of me." (Mr. Pendleton was a barrister, but his large income made work less a necessity than a hobby.)
Millie: "I shall be glad when the summer comes, John, and you can take a holiday. By the way, I wish you'd all make up your minds where you want to go this year."
Noel: "Must we decide six months ahead?"
Millie: "We always have done so. I like to know in good time what I'm going to do. We could go abroad, I suppose, but your father thinks we ought to go to Scotland as usual."
