scuous capacity for affection. But Aruna was her
ewe lamb of the moment; and not even Roy must be allowed to make things
harder for her than they were already....

So, after scouting the Delhi idea as preposterous, she suddenly
perceived there might be virtue in it--for Aruna. Possibly it would
glorify him in her eyes; but it would remove the fatal charm of his
presence; give her a chance to pull up before things had gone too far.
Whereat, being Thea, she spun round unashamedly, to Roy's secret
amusement and relief. All the Desmond in her rose to the adventure of
it. A risk, of course; but there must be no question of failure; and
success would justify all. She was entirely at his service; discussed
details by the hour; put him 'on to Vinx' for coaching in the general
situation--underground sedition; reformers, true and false; telling
arguments for the reclaiming of Dyan Singh.

To crown all--between genuine relief and genuine affection--she
impulsively kissed him on departure under Vincent's very eyes.

"Just only to give you my blessing!" she explained, laughing and
blushing like a girl at her own audacity. "Words are the stupidest
clumsy things. I'm sure life would be happier and less complicated if we
only had the sense to kiss more and talk less----!"

This--in the presence of Aruna and her husband and her six-year-old son!

Roy, deeply moved and a little overcome, nodded assent, while Vincent
took her by the arms and gently removed her from further temptation.

"Where _you'd_ be, Madam, if talking was rationed----!"

"I'd take it out in kissing--_Sir_!" she retorted unabashed; while Aruna
glanced a little wistfully at Roy, who was fondling Terry and talking
nonsense to Vernon. For the boy adored him and was on the brink of
tears.

But if he seemed unheeding, he was by no means unaware. He was fighting
his own battle in his own way; incidentally, he hoped, helping the girl
to fight hers. For he had shaken himself almost free of his delicious
yet disturbing illusion, only to be confronted by a more profoundly
disturbing reality. Loyal to his promise, tacitly given, he had simply
not connected her with the idea of marriage. The queer thrill of her
presence was for him quite another affair. Not until that night of
wandering in the moonlight had it struck him, with a faint shock, that
she might be mistaking his friendliness for--something more. That
contact with her had come at a critical moment for himself, wa