coward's part to terrorise a woman?"

"I don't want to terrorise you," he said sulkily.

"Well, you must admit that you haven't shown any particular desire to
make yourself agreeable," she pointed out.

He turned suddenly upon her.

"I am a fool, I know," he declared bitterly. "I'm an awkward, nervous,
miserable fool, my own worst enemy as they say of me in the Mess,
turning the people against me I want to have like me, stumbling into
every blunder a fool can. I'm the sort of man women make sport of, and
you've done it for them cruelly, perfectly."

"Captain Griffiths!" she protested. "When have I ever been anything but
kind and courteous to you?"

"It isn't your kindness I want, nor your courtesy! There's a curse upon
my tongue," he went on desperately. "I'm not like other men. I don't
know how to say what I feel. I can't put it into words. Every one
misunderstands me. You, too! Here I rode up to you this afternoon and
my heart was beating for joy, and in five minutes I had made an enemy of
you. Damn that fellow Lessingham! It is all his fault!"

Without the slightest warning he brought down his hunting crop upon his
horse's flanks. The mare gave one great plunge, and he was off, riding
at a furious gallop. Philippa watched him with immense relief, In the
far distance she could see two little specks growing larger and larger.
She hurried on towards them.

"Whatever did you do to Captain Griffiths, Mummy?" Nora demanded. "Why
he passed us without looking down, galloping like a madman, and his face
looked--well, what did it look like, Helen?"

Helen was gazing uneasily along the sands.

"Like a man riding for his enemy," she declared.

CHAPTER XXVII

Philippa and Helen looked at one another a little dolefully across the
luncheon table.

"I supposes one misses the child," Helen said.

"I feel too depressed for words," Philippa admitted.

"A few days ago," Helen reminded her companion, "we were getting all the
excitement that was good for any one."

"And a little more," Philippa agreed. "I don't know why things seem
so flat now. We really ought to be glad that nothing terrible has
happened."

"What with Henry and Mr. Lessingham both away," Helen continued, "and
Captain Griffiths not coming near the place, we really have reverted to
the normal, haven't we? I wonder--if Mr. Lessingham has gone back."

"I do not think so," Philippa murmured.

Helen frowned slightly.

"Personally," she said, wit