“Perhaps we have all been a little selfish,” said Mrs. Heywood quietly. “But we shall have some one else to think about now. A new life, Herbert. A new life is coming to us all!”
“Hush!” said Herbert. “Here’s Clare.”
The mother and son stood listening to the voice of Clare singing in the hall. She was singing the old nursery rhyme of—=
```"Sing a song of sixpence,
```A pocket-full of rye,
```Four and twenty blackbirds
```Baked in a pie,
```When the pie was opened——-“=
Mrs. Heywood smiled into her son’s eyes.
“I think I’ve left my spectacles in the other room,” she said. She went out into the hall, leaving her son alone.
And Herbert stood with his head raised, looking toward the door, eagerly, like a lover waiting for his bride.
Then Clare came in. There was a smile about her lips, and she spoke cheerfully.
“Well, you see I wasn’t long.”
Herbert strode toward her and took her hands and raised them to his lips.
“Clare, sweetheart! Is it true? Have you been called back to me?”
Clare put her forehead down against his chest.
“I never went very far away,” she said.
Presently Herbert spoke again with great cheerfulness.
“I say, Clare. It’s a funny thing!”
“What’s a funny thing?” asked Clare, smiling at him.
“Why, I was reading the advertisements in the paper to-night—-”
“Weretheyfunny?” asked Clare.
“No,” said Herbert, “but I saw something that would just suit us.”
He went over to a side-table and picked up the newspaper. Sitting on the edge of the table, he read out an advertisement.
“Here it is.... ‘Chelsea—Semi-detached house, dining-room, drawing-room, three bedrooms, and a large nursery. Shed for bicycle or perambulator.’”
Clare laughed happily.
“Well, we might have both!” she said.
Herbert dropped the paper, came over to his wife, and kissed her hands again.