as laughing with a fiendish exultation. The eagle
feathers tossed above his swarthy face. It came nearer to her; it glared
into her own. And suddenly recognition stabbed her like a sword. It was
the face of Nap Errol....

He was on the stairs talking to Hudson, the valet, when she descended to
breakfast, but he turned at once to greet her.

"I am sorry to say Lucas has had a bad night. He will keep his room
to-day. How have you slept, Lady Carfax?"

She answered him conventionally. They went downstairs together.

Bertie was in the hall studying a newspaper. He came forward, scowling
heavily, shook hands with Anne, and immediately addressed his brother.

"I've just come in from the stable. Have you been out all night? You've
nearly ridden the mare to death."

Anne glanced at Nap instinctively. He was smiling. "Don't vex yourself,
my good Bertie," he said. "The mare will be all right after a feed."

"Will she?" growled Bertie. "She is half dead from exhaustion anyway."

"Oh, skittles!" said Nap, turning to go.

The boy's indignation leaped to a blaze. "Skittles to you! I know what
I'm saying. And if you're not ashamed of yourself, you damned well
ought to be!"

Nap stopped. "What?" he drawled.

Bertie glared at him and subsided. The explosion had been somewhat more
violent than he had intended.

Very quietly Nap stepped up to him. "Will you repeat that last remark
of yours?"

Bertie was silent.

"Or do you prefer to withdraw it?"

Bertie maintained a dogged silence. He was fidgeting with the paper in a
fashion that seemed to indicate embarrassment.

"Do you withdraw it?" Nap repeated, still quiet, still slightly drawling.

Bertie hunched his shoulders like a schoolboy. "Oh, get away, Nap!" he
growled. "Yes--sorry I spoke. Now clear out and leave me alone!"

Anne was already at the further end of the hall, but Nap overtook her
before she entered the breakfast room. He opened the door for her, and as
she passed him she saw that he was still faintly smiling.

"Pardon the _contretemps_!" he said. "You may have noticed before that I
am not particularly good at swallowing insults."

"I wonder if there was a cause for it," she said, looking at him
steadily. "Remember, I know what your riding is like."

He raised his eyebrows for a moment, then laughed. The room they entered
was empty.

"No one down yet!" he observed. "Take a seat by the window. What will
you have?"

He attended to her wants and his o