'I must have some of these things: I want to make the house we are going to live in, in London, look as much like Ashwood as possible.'
'You'd like to take the whole house with you if you could.'
'Yes; I think I should.' And Emily turned and looked vaguely up and down the passage. 'I wonder if he'd give me the picture of the windmill?'
'The landing would look very bare without it.'
'It would indeed, and when we came down here on a visit—for I suppose we shall come down here sometimes on visits—I should miss the picture dreadfully, so I don't think I'll ask him for it. But I must take some pictures away with me. There are a lot of old things in the lumber-room at the top of the house, that no one knows anything about. I think I'll ask him to let me have them. I'll take him for a good long ramble through the house. He hasn't seen any of it yet, except just the rooms we live in down-stairs.'
Emily went straight to Hubert. He was lying in the long wicker chair, his straw hat drawn over his eyes, for the sun was finding its sharp, white way through the leaves of the beeches.
'Now, Hubert, I want you. Are you asleep?'
'Asleep! No, I was only thinking.' He threw his legs over the edge of the low chair and stood up.
'If I tell you what I want, you won't refuse me, will you?'
'No,' he said smilingly; 'I don't think I shall.'