He was so proud of the result that he felt he could not wait until the tale was finished and in print to try its effect.

He wanted appreciation and encouragement upon the instant.

He thought of Blix.
"She saw the point in Morrowbie Jukes' description of the slope of the sandhill," he told himself; and the next moment had resolved to go up and see her the next evening, and read to her what he had written.
This was on Thursday.

All through that week Blix had kept much to herself, and for the first time in two years had begun to spend every evening at home.

In the morning of each day she helped Victorine with the upstairs work, making the beds, putting the rooms to rights; or consulted with the butcher's and grocer's boys at the head of the back stairs, or chaffered with urbane and smiling Chinamen with their balanced vegetable baskets.