Free Such is love by Mary Burchell

her.
    The only thing she could do was to call after the little figure trotting out of the dormitory:
    "I'll see you again before I go, Toby."
    And Toby replied: "Yes, I'll see you too."
    "He's quaint, isn't he?" Mrs. Kellaby said with a laugh when he had gone. "He practically never says just "yes" or "no", but always a whole sentence."
    "He's sweet," Gwyneth agreed as casually as she could. "How old is he?"
    "Going on for six. I think he has a birthday in Septem-

    ber." Gwyneth had known it would be so, of course, but she listened fascinatedly to this further confirmation. Mrs. Kellaby turned to her husband. "Toby is one of the Septembers, isn't he?"
    Dr. Kellaby smiled.
    "Yes. He seems to have taken a fancy to you, Mrs. Onslie."
    "I was very flattered. He's a dear child. The kind—the kind of child one could get very fond of. Don't you think so, Van?"
    Her husband looked rather surprised, smiled slightly and said:
    "Yes, I dare say. Funny little beggar." And then he began to talk to Dr. Kellaby again about Annual Meetings and other uninteresting things.
    Gwyneth didn't enjoy the rest of her visit very much. It was hard to show a practical and intelligent interest in the things which didn't concern her own child very personally.
    It was hard to have to make casual conversation over lunch, too. She wanted to say:
    "When can I see Toby again? Can I have an hour with him all by myself before I go? Could I have him stay with me? Do people ever adopt the children from here?"
    But she couldn't ask these questions—^not one of them. They would all sound extraordinary—and whatever she did, she must not arouse suspicion.
    The afternoon dragged away. She had seen everything by the end—the schoolrooms, the play-rooms, the kitchens, the grounds—and she had expressed a proper interest in them all. Only at the very end, when they were within ten minutes of going, did she pluck up courage to say:
    "I haven't seen Toby to say good-bye."
    "Toby?" Her husband looked surprised. "Do you want to see the child again?"
    "I promised him I would. I couldn't think of letting him down," Gwyneth said almost sharply.
    "A very good rule, Mrs. Onslie," Dr. Kellaby agreed with a smile. "Children notice promises at least as much as grown-ups."
    "Of course, if you promised him." Van smiled slightly, too. "I didn't realize that a promise was involved."
    So Toby was summoned, and Gwyneth had to say good-

    bye to him in front of them all. It didn't count as seeing him at all, of course. She couldn't kiss him and hug him, as she wanted. She could only take his little hand and smile upon him very sweetly and say:
    "Good-bye, Toby. I won't forget to send you your jug."
    But he was better at this sort of thing than she was. He held up his face to be kissed and said:
    "Thank you. Good-bye. Please don't forget my jug."
    Everyone smiled then, and so it was quite easy to bend down and kiss him. His mouth felt very soft and damp, and she thought: "He's only a baby—my baby."
    "When shall I see you again?" he asked firmly.
    "I—don't know." It made her want to cry, having to say that.
    "I dare say Mrs. Onslie will be down here on Founders* Day," Mrs. Kellaby suggested pleasantly. And at that, Gwyneth could have fallen on her neck and kissed her.
    "Yes—yes, of course. When is it?" She had not dared to think of some possibility like that.
    "In about six weeks' time."
    "Near my birthday," supplemented Toby innocently.
    "I'll come. It's a promise," Gwyneth assured him, trying not to notice that Van's eyes were on her in rather amused surprise.
    And, after that, they said their goodbyes to the Kellabys and went, away.
    At first they drove in silence. Then presently Van said:
    "It's a fine place, isn't it?"
    "Yes. Wonderful. I can quite understand your interest in it."
    "I wondered once or twice if you had had more than enough."
    "Oh no. Really, Van, no I" She was desperately anxious to show any amount of interest that might mean their going back again.
    Her