ll be all right."

His airy friendliness banished the last of Dot's confusion. With a keen
sense of relief she obeyed him. Those few seconds of a common solicitude
had bridged the gulf at least temporarily.

"This is real good of you," Lucas Errol said, as he took her arm again.
"And it's a luxury I ought not to indulge in, for I can walk alone on
the flat."

"Oh, it is horrid for you!" she said with vehemence. "How ever do
you bear it?"

"We can all of us bear what we must," he said, smiling whimsically.

"But we don't all of us do it well," said Dot, as she opened the
Rectory gate.

"I guess that's a good deal a matter of temperament," said the
American. "A fellow like Nap, for instance, all hustle and quicksilver,
might be expected to kick now and then. One makes allowances for a
fellow like that."

"I believe you make allowances for everyone," said Dot, impetuously.

"Don't you?" he asked.

"No, I am afraid I don't."

There was a pause. The garden door was closed behind them. They
stood alone.

Lucas Errol's eyes travelled over the stretch of lawn that lay between
them and the house, dwelt for a few thoughtful seconds upon nothing in
particular, and finally sought those of the girl at his side.

"One must be fair, Miss Waring," he said gently. "I can't imagine you
being deliberately unfair to anyone."

She flushed again. There was something in his manner that she could not
quite fathom, but it was something that she could not possibly resent.

"Not deliberately--of course," she said after a moment, as he waited for
an answer.

"Of course not," he agreed, in his courteous, rather tired voice. "If,
for instance, you were out with a friend and met a scorpion in a rage who
stung you both, you'd want to take it out of the scorpion, wouldn't you,
not the friend?"

She hesitated, seeing in a flash the trend of the conversation, and
unwilling to commit herself too deeply.

He read her reluctance at a glance. "Please don't be afraid of me," he
said, with that most winning smile of his. "I promise you on my honour
that whatever you say shall not be used against you."

She smiled involuntarily. "I am not afraid of you, only--"

"Only--" he said.

"I think there are a good many scorpions about," she told him rather
piteously. "I could name several, all venomous."

"I understand," said Lucas Errol. He passed his hand within her arm again
and pressed it gently. "And so you are flinging away all your va