possible that he had misjudged Kenwardine;
and he had certainly misjudged Clare. The girl's surroundings were
powerless to smirch her: Dick was sure of that.

"Oh, well," he answered awkwardly, "although Lance obviously knows your
father pretty well, it doesn't follow that he's a friend of yours."

"It does not," she said in a curious tone. "But do you know the man he
was with?"

"I never saw him before, and somehow I don't feel anxious to improve his
acquaintance."

Clare laughed.

"That's a quick decision, isn't it? Are you a judge of character?" she
asked.

"I have been badly mistaken," Dick admitted with a smile. "Still, I know
the people I'm going to like. How is it I haven't seen you about? We're
not very far off and most of the people in the neighborhood have driven
over to our camp."

"I only came home to-night, after being away for some time."

Dick was relieved to learn this. He did not like to think of her living
at Kenwardine's house and meeting his friends. It was scarcely half an
hour since he met Clare Kenwardine, but she had, quite unconsciously he
thought, strongly impressed him. In fact, he felt rather guilty about it.
Since he was, in a manner, expected to marry some one else, he had no
business to enjoy yielding to this stranger's charm and to thrill at her
touch.

They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Lance strolled up with
his companion.

"Don't forget the time, Dick," he remarked as he passed. "You mustn't let
him keep you too long, Miss Kenwardine. He has an important errand to do
for his colonel."

"If you don't mind, I won't go just yet," Dick said to Clare; and
understood from her silence that she did not want to dismiss him.

For the first time since they were boys, he was angry with his cousin. It
looked as if Lance had meant to take him away when Miss Kenwardine needed
him. He was flattered to think she preferred his society to the red-faced
man's, and had used him to keep the other at a distance. Well, he would
stay to the last minute and protect her from the fellow, or from anybody
else.

A little later Kenwardine joined them, and Dick knew that he must go.
Clare gave him her hand with a quick, grateful look that made his heart
beat, and Lance met him as he went into the house.

"You're cutting it very fine," he said. "Come along; here's your cap."

"In a moment! There's an infantry man I asked over to our camp."

"You haven't time to look for him," Lance a