her feet, holding her fast in his arms while he kissed
the colour into her white face, finally lowering her into Nick's
favourite hammock and dexterously settling her therein.

"You shouldn't!" she protested feebly. "You shouldn't! And indeed I'm
not going to lie here."

"You are going to do as you are told, fair lady," he responded grimly.
"What have you been lying awake half the night for?"

"I didn't," she began. "At least--" seeing his look of open
incredulity--"it couldn't have been so long as that. And I--I had a lot
of things to think about. No, Max, you're not to feel my pulse! Max, I
won't have it!"

She pulled desperately, and freed herself. Max thrust his hands into his
pockets, faintly smiling, and stood over her, contemplating her.

"Well, tell me all the things you had to think about!" he said.

She shook her head, flushed still and slightly distressed. "No, Max."

He stooped over her, searching her face. "Do you like being engaged,
Olga?" he asked.

She sat up quickly and leaned against him, her hands clasped upon his
arm.

"I'm happy enough to--to want to cry," she said, a slight catch in her
voice.

He held her closely again, her head against his heart. "No, that's not
the reason," he said softly into her ear. "Something is bothering you,
isn't it?"

She swallowed once or twice and nodded. "I'm--foolish," she managed to
utter after a moment.

"Never mind if you can't help it!" he said. "Tell me what it's about!"

But she was silent.

"Afraid I shan't understand?" he questioned.

Her hand nestled into his, but she kept her face down. "I wrote a long,
long letter to Dad last night," she remarked irrelevantly, after a
pause. "He--I'm afraid he'll be rather surprised."

"I wonder," said Max.

She glanced up for an instant. "Did he know you were coming out here to
me?" she asked.

"He did." There was a queer note of dry exultation in Max's reply.

"Oh, Max!" Her head went back to its resting-place. "He thought I didn't
like you, you know. What--what did he say?"

"He told me I was a fool," said Max.

Olga laughed. "Dear Dad! I suppose he thought you were wasting your time
over a wild goose chase."

"Yes; he didn't anticipate my catching my wild goose, I admit. Kersley
on the other hand was so confident that he practically hoofed me out of
England. He wants a married partner, you know, so perhaps he was not
altogether disinterested."

Again the complacent note sounded in Max's