her. "Present company not excepted. But we
must not spoil him, Patricia."

And she understood that her secret was Aymer's and it lent her a sense
of security and rest to know it, so that when she went to bed she
reproached herself for her former childish moods. "I should be glad
his strength of purpose and commonsense are so great," she told
herself, forgetting love and commonsense were ever ill neighbours. "I
am never going to marry, and it would be difficult to say no to him.
To-night was just one of the best of times that can be for us."

That unwise thought aroused the dull throbbing ache in her heart again
and the reasonable salve she offered it had no effect. She slept with
it, woke with it, and knew it for the close companion of many days.

But Christopher's last thought was, "I am not going to do without her
any longer, if I am to meet her any more in this way. I should have
read her soul again to-night if I had not remembered in time."

Aymer Aston lay awake wondering what was the matter between the two
that they did not guess their palpable secret. He was the richer for
another day's respite and every day was a tide carrying him to the
shore of safety.

CHAPTER XXVIII

A chilly, rainy mist shrouded the country and blotted out the familiar
beauty. Not a day for walking, but Christopher had chosen to tramp to
a far-off corner of the estate on some pretence of business and had
come back through the wet, dripping woods, burr-covered and muddy. He
was met in the hall by a message that Mr. Aymer wanted him at once, so
without waiting to change he strode away, whistling, to the West Room
and came to a standstill on the threshold, finding Aymer had visitors
with him.

There were two gentlemen, one was Mr. Shakleton, the son and successor
of the old solicitor who had played his part in the finding of
Christopher, the other was a stout, complacent man with gold-rimmed
glasses and scanty sandy hair, and all three of the occupants of the
room looked towards the door as if waiting for and expecting him. A
glance at Caesar's face brought Christopher swiftly to his side and
established instantly a sense of antagonism with the visitors.

"You want me, Caesar?"

"Yes. We want you. Mr. Shakleton you know. This is Mr. Saunderson."

Both men stood up and to Christopher's amazement bowed profoundly.

"I am very honoured to meet you," said Mr. Saunderson suavely. "I hope
it will be the commencement of a long a