ave seemed ridiculous to take offence.

"Once. At first sight. Quite bowled over. We met at an hotel."

She knew what I meant, made a dainty little grimace, and bent her head
in a small bow of acknowledgment, which somehow managed to look quite
regal and stately. I longed to put one or two questions in return.
Widows _have_ been known to marry again! Why should I not wish to be
reassured on my own account? Why should it be wrong for me to force
confidences, when she herself had led the way? It would _not_ be wrong;
it would be right, and prudent, and praiseworthy. The only objection
was, _I could not do it_. After that little bow of acknowledgment,
Charmion threw back her head until it rested on the high cushioned back
of her chair.

"That's settled then," she said quietly.

Her heavy lids drooped over her eyes, her fine white hands were folded
in her lap. There was in voice and manner an air of finality, which was
as impervious as a barrier of barbed wire. Not for any bribe in the
world would I have attempted to scale it.

The next morning, bright and early, we chartered a "fly," and lumbered
along two miles of country lanes, and then, suddenly turning a corner,
found ourselves at the gate of Pastimes. It was a dull, grey day, of
which I was glad, for _any_ place can look attractive in spring
sunshine. I have seen even a third-rate London square look quite frisky
and inviting with a shimmer of green over the black trees, and the
spring-cleaned windows sending out flashes of light; it's a very
different spectacle on a November afternoon. Five minutes'
acquaintanceship with Pastimes showed, however, that its predominating
quality was cheerfulness. There was a great deal of panelling on the
walls, but it was of white wood, not oak, and the old, small latticed
windows had been converted into deep bays, filled with great panes of
plate glass--a pagan proceeding from an artistic point of view, but
infinitely cheerful and healthy. There was a large central hall from
either side of which opened two rooms of medium size, facing
respectively east and west; a quaint descent of two steps led the way to
a really spacious drawing-room, through the great windows of which was a
lovely vista of velvet lawn, and a great cedar drooping its green
branches to the ground.

Parallel with the drawing-room, and also facing south, was a long
glassed-in apartment which had evidently been used to harbour plants,
garden-chai