l means!"

But Olga was in obvious confusion. "I didn't mean to mention it," she
said. "It just slipped out. I was really thinking of--what happened last
night."

He frowned instantly. "Who told you anything about it?"

"Nick."

"I should like to wring his skinny little neck," said Max.

"How dare you?" said Olga indignantly.

"You don't think I'm afraid of you, do you?" he said, with a smile.

"No," she admitted rather grudgingly. "I don't think you are afraid of
anyone or anything. But it is a pity you spoil things by being
so--unfriendly."

"Are you speaking on Mrs. Briggs's behalf or your own?" asked Max.

She met his eyes with a feeling of reluctance. "Well, I do hate
quarrelling," she said.

"I never quarrel," said Max placidly.

"Oh, but you do!" she exclaimed. "How can you say such a thing?"

"No, I don't!" said Max. "I go my own way, that's all. If anyone tries
to stop me, well, they get knocked down and trampled on. I don't call
that quarrelling. It simply happens in the natural course of things."

"No wonder people don't like you!" said Olga.

"Don't you like me?" said Max.

He put the question with obvious indifference, yet his green eyes still
studied her critically. Olga poured out some water with a hand so shaky
that it splashed over. He reached forward and dabbed it up with his
table-napkin.

"Well?" he said.

"I don't know," she murmured somewhat incoherently.

"Don't know! But you knew this morning!" The green eyes suddenly
laughed at her. "I say, don't try to drink that yet!" he said. "You'll
choke if you do. Go on! Tell me some more about Mrs. Briggs! Did she
give you any of that filthy concoction she calls rhubarb wine?"

"It isn't filthy! It's delicious," declared Olga. "You can't have tasted
it."

"Oh, yes, I had some the day the old woman died. In fact, I was trying
to sleep off the effects that afternoon, when you caught me in Uncle
Nick's library. It's horribly strong stuff. I suppose that is what made
you so late for luncheon?"

"Indeed, it wasn't! We went to the Priory before coming home."

"Oh! What for?"

"Some things Violet wanted."

"What things?" said Max.

She looked at him in surprise. "I'm sure I don't know. I'm not so
inquisitive as you are. You had better ask Violet."

"Ask me what?" said Violet, detaching her attention from Major
Hunt-Goring for a moment.

"Nothing," said Max. "I was only wondering how many glasses of rhubarb
wine you had at 'Th