g between the
forest-clad spurs of the hills; on, leisurely, at a foot's-pace; the
great rolling seas of verdure, spangled with many a fantastic-hued
blossom, sweeping down to the path itself; the wild black-mouthed gorges
echoing the piping call of birds in the brake, and the sullen
deep-throated bark of the sentinel baboon, squatted high overhead.

But the ride, so far from doing her good, seemed, judging from results,
to be exercising a still further damping effect upon Violet's spirits.
It had become her turn now to answer in monosyllables, as her companion
tried to interest her in the scenery and surroundings. All of a sudden
she wildly burst into tears.

Down went Renshaw's wise resolutions, the result of a painful and severe
course of self-striving, like a house of cards. The sight of her grief
seemed more than he could bear.

"Good heavens! Violet--darling--what is it? Why are you unhappy?"

The tone was enough. The old tremor of passion struggling to repress
itself. Had she forged this weapon deliberately, Violet must have
rejoiced over its success. But this time the outburst was genuine.

"Oh, I sometimes wish I could die!" she answered, as soon as she could
control her voice. "Then there would be a peaceful ending to it all, at
any rate."

"Ending to what? You have been very much shaken, dear--since that
unfortunate skirmish the other night. But you must try and forget that
and become your own bright self again. It cannot be that you have any
real trouble on your mind?"

"Oh, Renshaw--you have been so hard to me of late--so cold and silent,
as if you didn't care so much as to speak to me--and I have felt it so--
so much. Ah, but you don't believe me."

The man's face grew white. What did this mean? Had he been deceiving
himself all this time? While he had thought she was trying once more to
whistle him back to her lure, to amuse herself with him and his most
sacred feelings as a mere pastime during the other's absence--could it
be after all that she had merely been playing off the other against
him--piqued at the outward cooling of his attentions? A tumultuous rush
of feeling went through his heart and brain. But like a douche of cold
water upon the fainting patient came her next words, bringing him to
with a kind of mental gasp.

"You have felt it so much?" he echoed, quickly.

"Yes. I could not bear the thought of losing such a staunch,
true-hearted friend as you would be--as y