Gates of Dawn by Susan Barrie Page B

the sudden acquisition of a really attractive home, and the fact that he had already issued invitations to certain of his friends to visit it for Christmas, which made him anxious that they should see it at its best.
    “ I did the best I could with the branches I could reach, ” she told him; “ but the h o lly with the finest berries on it needs longer arms than mine. And there are some magnificent laurels, too, and a gorgeous bunch of mistletoe on an old apple tree in the orchard. ”
    “ Then we ’ ll straightaway transplant it to somewhere where the unwary will be most likely to find themselves embarrassed by, it, ” he replied, his eyes twinkling at her rather wickedly across the table. “ Isn ’ t that the correct thing to do with mistletoe, Miss Brooks? ”
    She felt herself flushing faintly under the meaning look in his eyes, and was glad when Noel decided to seize the opportunity to thank him for her birthday present.
    “ That ’ s all right, my child, ” he said, dismissing her thanks carelessly. “ So long as you don ’ t ever allow him into my library to chew up my papers. If he ever does that, b oth your life and his will be forfeit!”
    Although it was a bright morning it had snowed a great deal during the night and they had to attach chains to the wheels of the car before setting out to penetrate the white and silent lanes. It was a world of infinite beauty, sparkling like fairyland, through which they crawled at a snail ’ s pace, the chains clanking noisily, and Melanie would have been content to lie back against the seat of the car and simply admire it, while Noel, occupying the seat of honor beside her uncle at the wheel, chatted to him for the first time almost without self-consciousness. But there was work to be done, as Richard reminded her when they arrived at a magnificent specimen of holly towering above the deep snow of the drive, and looking as if it had shaken itself free of all but a light powdering of rime. And very soon the back of the car was piled high with the scarlet and green which somehow looked exciting against the contrasting whiteness of the snow, and even the pearl-grey upholstery of the car.
    On their way back they passed through the village, with its square-towered church, looking like the subject for a Christmas card. And the white-haired elderly Rector, returning to his Reentry after supervising decorations in the church, espied them and recognized the long grey car as belonging to the brother of Mrs. Duplessis. He smiled and waved a hand at them, and Richard brought the car to a standstill and decided that it might be polite to address a few seasonable words with him, if only for the sake of his sister, who always counted upon the Rector to make up a bridge four when she was giving one of her social evenings.
    “ So nice to feel that the owner of the Wold House is now settled amongst us, ” the Rector observed, obviously meaning it. “ We shall hope to see more of you, Mr. Trenchard, now that you are no longer living in London. ”
    “ As a matter of fact I return to London immediately after Christmas, ” Richard told him rather bluntly.
    “ Oh, do you? ” There was disappointment on the rather finely drawn face. “ But such a charming old house—and the gardens, so attractive in the spring. Perhaps you will eventually decide to settle—? ”
    “ Perhaps, ” Richard replied non-committally.
    The Rector caught sight of Melanie, in the back of the car, and beamed at her.
    “ In the meantime your Miss Melanie will continue, I hope, to help us out with the Women ’ s Institute on Friday nights? She and Mrs. Duplessis have always been so good, and so regular and faithful in their attendance, and their assistance whenever it was needed. Miss Melanie even organized a sale of work for us once, and Mrs. Duplessis is always getting up concerts. At the moment we are trying to raise funds for the new church organ ... ”
    He paused tentatively, and Richard said