And
you are not to give any dances to Hunt-Goring, mind, whatever the
bounder says."

He was gone. Free, careless, upright, he strode humming along the
verandah and swung round the corner out of sight.

A brief silence descended upon the two who were left. Olga glanced once
or twice at Sir Reginald, whose brows were drawn in deep thought.

At length, with slight hesitation she spoke, voicing the anxiety that
had been growing within her for many days. "Sir Reginald, do you think
he is in any danger when he goes to the city?"

The old soldier came out of his reverie, and met her eyes. He smiled at
her, albeit his own were grave. "He is extremely shrewd and capable," he
said. "I do not think there is much likelihood of his being taken
unawares."

"But it is dangerous?" Olga insisted.

"There is a certain amount of risk certainly." Gravely he admitted the
fact. "But I think you need not be over-anxious," he added, with a
kindly smile. "Nick is one of those clever people who always manage to
win through somehow. They always used to say of him on the Frontier that
he bore a charmed life. He has a positive genius for wriggling out of
tight corners."

He wished to reassure her, she saw; but somehow she did not feel
reassured. The conviction was growing upon her that Nick was exposing
himself to a danger that would have appalled her had she realized it to
its fullest extent.

She said no more to Sir Reginald, but her heart sank. The clouds were
gathering thicker and ever thicker on her horizon. She did not dare to
look forward any more.

CHAPTER XXII

THE REPRIEVE

"I say, you're magnificent!" said Noel. His hand closed tightly upon
Olga's with the words. He looked her up and down with a free admiration
too boyish to be offensive. "You're an absolute darling in that get-up!"
he told her with enthusiasm.

It was impossible to be indignant. Olga tried and failed. She had not
been aware till that moment that she was making a particularly brave
show in her eighteenth-century costume, with her pink satin finery and
powdered hair. But there was no mistaking the adulation in the boy's
eyes, and even in the midst of her misery she felt a little glow of
gratification. He was looking alluringly disreputable in his
highwayman's dress, and the dark eyes shone upon her with fascinating
audacity as he lifted her hand to his lips.

"So you haven't brought Nick with you?" he said, speaking with laughing
haste to cut s