, which Maud hardly recognised as her own. It was easier
to play a part than she had expected: the looking forward had been worse
than the reality; and, as she met her mother's smile and Nan's approving
glance, she even began to feel a dreary pride in her own composure.
Lilias had seated herself between two of her sisters, an intentional
revenge for the slight which she considered herself to have received,
and Ned was therefore left free to devote himself to his old friend.

"Of course you saw--you knew what was coming," he whispered
confidentially, when the general conversation made it possible to
exchange a quiet remark. "I realised that I gave myself away by my
awkwardness and stupidity whenever she was present, but I was powerless
to prevent it. And you were so good to me, Maud, always doing your best
to help and make things easy. I can never be grateful enough for your
friendship. I am so thankful to feel that you are at home still. It
seems an assurance of safety; for you'll look after her, and see that
she gets into no danger through all this long year of waiting."

He looked at her appealingly, and she gave a forced little laugh.

"Oh yes, I'll ward off the beasts of prey. There are so many, you know,
roving about this sleepy place. She will meet so many dangers!"

"Don't laugh at me! I can't help being anxious. She is so young and
child-like, and there are dangers everywhere. Illness, accident,
infection. I shall think of them when I am far away, and worry myself
to death. But you are a bulwark of strength, Maud, and if you will take
her in charge--"

Maud laughed again. It seemed so ridiculous to think of any of her
sisters promising to take Lilias in charge! Lilias, the most cool-
headed, independent, and self-confident member of the family. She was
infinitely more capable of taking care of the whole family than the
family was of influencing her movements; but Ned could not be expected
to realise as much, and he was obviously wounded by the absence of
expected sympathy.

An exclamation from Christabel, calling attention to Kitty Maitland's
figure crossing the lawn, came as a welcome interruption, and Ned took
the opportunity to cross to a seat on the other side of the group, while
Maud watched his departure with mingled relief and concern.

"He thinks I am hard and prosaic, and is disappointed in me. Well,
better so! He won't confide his rhapsodies in my ear any more, and that
would b