n with him and they had been closer together during
those rides than at any other time, but lately she had refused, on one
excuse or another, to come with him.

He went a good deal now to other houses, but it was awkward because
Rachel would not come with him. She asked people to Seddon and was
charming when they came, but she would not often go out with him when
the country people invited them.

Since the Nita Raseley episode he had thought that she might show
jealousy did he ride and drive with some girl in the country. He hoped
that she would be jealous, that would have filled him with tingling
happiness--but no, she seemed to be glad that he should find someone who
could take her place.

Over all these things he brooded and brooded. He would look at his old
friendly gryphons and feel, in some dumb confused way, that they were
being insulted.--"Poor old beggars--I bet she doesn't know they're
there"--And through all of this, he loved her more and more, and was,
daily, more wretched and unhappy.

II

The coming of Miss Rand puzzled him. He had, of course, known of her for
a long time--"Adela Beaminster's secretary, most capable woman, simply
runs the whole place."--As a human being she simply did not occur to
him.

Now she seemed to be the one person whom Rachel wished to know. Another
instance of Rachel's unexpectedness. When Lizzie came he was still more
astonished. This tidy, trim little woman looked as though she ought
always to have a typewriter by her side; her sharp eyes were always
restlessly discovering things that were out of order. Roddy found
himself fingering his tie and patting his hair when she was with
him--not, he would have supposed, the sort of woman for whom Rachel
would have cared.

Then after a while he discovered another astonishing thing. Miss Rand
did not like his wife, did not like her at all. He watched and fancied
that Rachel soon discovered this and was doing her utmost to force Miss
Rand to like her.

Miss Rand was always pleasant and polite; she was an immense help about
dinners and this dance that was to be given early in the New Year, but
she yielded to none of Rachel's advances, was always reserved,
unresponsive.

Roddy was afraid of her but believed in her. She liked animals and loved
the house and the Downs and the country.--"She's all clean and bright
and hard," he thought; "no emotion about her, no sentiment _there_. A
man 'ud have a stiff time love-making with her.