But Miss Pendarth was still full of the new tenant of The Trellis House.
"I hear that Timmy's dog gave her a fearful fright." Betty felt astonished, well used as she was to the other's almost uncanny knowledge of all that went on in the village.

Who could have told her this particular bit of gossip?
"I wonder," went on the elder lady reflectively, "what made Mrs.Crofton come to Beechfield, of all places in the world.

Somehow she doesn't look the sort of woman who would care for a country life." "Godfrey Radmore first told her of Beechfield," said Betty, and in spite of herself, she felt the colour rise again hotly to her cheeks.
"Godfrey Radmore ?" It was Miss Pendarth's turn to be genuinely surprised.
"_Godfrey Radmore!_ Then she's Australian?
I thought there was something odd about her." Betty smiled, but she felt irritated.

In some ways Miss Pendarth was surely very narrow-minded! "No, she's not Australian--at least I'm pretty sure she's not.

They met during the War, in Egypt.