explaining her weakness and pallor by the sudden dizziness
which had come upon her in consequence of not eating and of being in the
hot sun.

CHAPTER XXXI

Larry was far more deeply moved this time when Maggie drove away
with Dick than on that former occasion when he had tried to play with
adroitness upon her psychological reactions. Now he knew that her very
world was shaken; that her soul was stunned and reeling; that she was
fighting with all her strength for a brief outward composure.

He had loved her for months, but he had never so loved her as in this
hour when all her artificial defenses had been battered down and she had
been just a bewildered, agonized girl, with just the emotions and
first thoughts that any other normal girl would have had under the same
circumstances. His great desire had been to be with her, to comfort her,
help her; but he realized that she had been correct in her instinct to
be by herself for a while, to try to comprehend it all, to try to think
her way out.

When Maggie was out of sight he excused himself from having tea, left
Hunt and Miss Sherwood upon the veranda, and sought his study. But
though he had neglected his work the whole day, he now gave it no
attention. He sat at his desk and thought of Maggie: tried to think
of what she was going to do. Her situation was so complicated with big
elements which she would have to handle that he could not foretell just
what her course would be. It was a terrific situation for a young woman,
who was after all just a very young girl, to face alone. But there was
nothing for him but to wait for news from her. And she had not said even
that she would ever let him hear.

While he considered these matters he had risen and paced the room. Once
he had paused at a French window which opened upon a side veranda, and
had seen below him a few yards away Joe Ellison, whose interest in his
flowers had established his workday from sunrise to sunset. Joe Ellison
had been pulling tiny weeds that were daring to attempt to get a start
in a rose-garden. Larry's mind had halted a moment upon Joe. Here at
least was a contented man: one who, no matter what happened, would
remain in ignorance of possibly great events which would intimately
concern him. Then Larry had left the window and had returned to his
thoughts of Maggie.

But Larry's thoughts were not to remain exclusively with Maggie for
long. Shortly after six Judkins entered and announced tha