train was packed, and I was late. Of course I offered to go and find
another seat, but there wasn't one anywhere."

"So the young man yielded to _force majeure_ and allowed you to travel
with him?" said the Rector, adding seriously: "I'm very thankful he
did. To think of you--alone--in that awful smash! . . . This
morning's paper says there were forty people killed."

Diana gave a little nervous shiver, and then quite suddenly began to
cry.

Stair quietly took the reins from her hand, and patted her shoulder,
but he made no effort to check her tears. He had felt worried all
morning by her curious detachment concerning the accident; it was
unnatural, and he feared that later on the shock which she must have
received might reveal itself in some abnormal nervousness regarding
railway travelling. These tears would bring relief, and he welcomed
them, allowing her to cry, comfortably leaning against his shoulder, as
the pony meandered up the hilly lane which led to the Rectory.

At the gates they both descended from the trap, and Stair was preparing
to lead the pony into the stable-yard when Diana suddenly flung her
arms round him, kissing him impulsively.

"Oh, Pobs, dear," she said half-laughing, half-crying. "You're such a
darling--you always understand everything. I feel heaps better now,
thank you."

[1] Anglice: foreigner.

CHAPTER V

THE SECOND MEETING

Diana threw hack the bedclothes and thrust an extremely pretty but
reluctant foot over the edge of the bed. She did not experience in the
least that sensation of exhilaration with which the idea of getting up
invariably seems to inspire the heroine of a novel, prompting her to
spring lightly from her couch and trip across to the window to see what
sort of weather the author has provided. On the contrary, she was
sorely tempted to snuggle down again amongst the pillows, but the
knowledge that it wanted only half an hour to breakfast-time exercised
a deterrent influence and she made her way with all haste to the
bath-room, somewhat shamefully pleased to reflect that, being Easter
Sunday, Pobs would be officiating at the early service, so that she
would escape the long trudge down to the sea with him for their usual
morning swim.

By the time she had bathed and dressed, however, she felt better able
to face the day with a cheerful spirit, and the sun, streaming in
through the diamond panes of her window, added a last vivifying touch
and fin