the groom. "The gardener brought it up from the
lodge. The Colonel went on with Mrs. Foster to the long wood."

Mrs. Keith turned away and sat down on a terrace seat feeling
disturbed. Mrs. Chudleigh was with the others and would no doubt
detach Challoner from them, as she generally succeeded in doing when
Mrs. Keith was unable to prevent her. Now there was nobody to come to
his rescue, he would be at the woman's mercy, and though she admitted
that this was perhaps an exaggerated view to take, Mrs. Keith felt that
he was threatened. It was, however, a long walk to the wood and she
was old enough to shrink from it; besides there was a possibility that
she was after all suspecting Mrs. Chudleigh without much cause, but she
made up her mind to follow. By walking fast she might overtake the
party before much harm was done. Entering the house, she put on thick
boots and then set out with all the speed she was capable of.

In the meanwhile Mrs. Foster's party had split up, and Mrs. Chudleigh
and Challoner were left together. The Colonel did not regret this,
because he had found her an entertaining companion. Though it was a
winter day, the weather was mild and the road almost dry, and after a
time they reached a birch wood which skirted its eastern side. The
rays of the low sun struck in among the trees, forcing up the silvery
trunks and fragile twigs which looked like lacework against a
background of blue shadow. Thick hollies and rhododendrons planted
near the wayside kept off the light wind, and dead leaves and withered
fern made patches of glowing colour. When they came to a gate leading
to a drive through the wood Mrs. Chudleigh stopped.

"The others have vanished; I can't even hear them," she said. "I
wonder which way they have gone."

Challoner listened, but could only distinguish the murmur of the wind
among the birches and the rustle of fallen leaves. The rest of the
party were obviously some distance ahead.

"The road's the longer, but as the field-path's often wet I can't tell
which they've taken," he said.

"The field-path for me," Mrs. Chudleigh replied.

"I'm afraid I'm not very fond of walking."

They entered the wood and presently reached a stile, on the other side
of which a boggy patch cut off the path from a strip of sticky
ploughing. Mrs. Chudleigh regarded it with disapproval.

"I don't know if Mrs. Foster could jump over that, but I can't," she
said.

She sat down upon the stil