lank. "You'll see much more of him then."

"Oh, I expect I shall feel different then," said Dinah. "Married people
are different, aren't they? They are not always going off by themselves
and kissing in corners."

"Not as a rule," admitted Scott. "But I've been told that there is
usually a good deal of that sort of thing done during the honeymoon."

"That's different too," Dinah's voice was slightly dubious
notwithstanding. "But we are not on our honeymoon yet. Scott, couldn't
you--just for once--help me to--to find an excuse not to go? It would
be--so dear of you."

She spoke with earnest entreaty, her eyes frankly raised to his.

Scott looked into them with steady searching before he finally responded.
"I will speak to him if you like. I don't know that I shall be
successful. But--if you wish it--I will try."

"Oh, thank you," she said. "Thank you." And then quickly, "You're sure
you don't mind? Sure you're not afraid?"

"Oh, quite sure of that," said Scott.

Her eyes expressed open admiration. "I can't think how you manage not to
be," she said.

He smiled with a touch of sadness. "Perhaps I am not so weak as I look,"
he said.

"You--weak!" said Dinah. "Why, you are the strongest man I ever met."

Scott smothered a sudden sigh. "Which only proves how very little you
know about me," he said.

But Dinah shook her head, wholly unconvinced. Here at least she was
absolutely sure of her ground.

"'Mr. Greatheart was a strong man,'" she quoted, "'and he was not afraid
of a Lion.'"

"There are sometimes worse things than lions in the path," said Scott
gravely.

CHAPTER VIII

THE VICTORY

The return of Sir Eustace, marshalling the Vicar before him, put an end
to further confidences.

Dinah rose nervously to receive the new-comer--a tall, thin man, elderly,
with a grave, intellectual face and courteous manner, who looked at her
with a gleam of surprise as he took her shyly proffered hand.

"It is a great privilege to meet you," he said then, and Dinah perceived
at once that he had prepared that remark for someone much more imposing
than herself, and had not time to readjust it.

She thanked him, and he sat down at Scott's invitation and fell into a
troubled silence.

Sir Eustace was looking decidedly formidable, and it was not difficult to
see that he had just given an unqualified refusal to his visitor's
earnest request.

It was Scott as usual who came to the rescue, breaking through the
V