think of
the grilling roads and the dust without putting up my neat little
parasol again. But you are too ingenious for words! Aunt Jeannie
comes out here and demands wind, and you instantly think of the only
plan of giving it her. No, for me the book of verses, or, rather,
the newspaper, underneath the bough will last till lunch-time. Has
anything happened?"

Daisy spoke in the lightest possible tone; it required a woman to hear
that beneath the light words a troubled spirit spoke. And Jeannie was
sick at heart at the success of her scheme. She had heard at breakfast
how these two meant to spend their morning; she was aware that others
knew of the situation which existed between them, and would surely avoid
the elm-tree by the rose-garden like a plague-stricken spot, and so she
had come out here on her hateful mission, interrupting and breaking up
their dangerous companionship.

She had been prepared to go further than this--to ask, if necessary,
point blank, for the use of his car, and hint at the pleasure of his
company. Part of that had been spared her; he probably had no inkling
of her design in coming out and demanding wind; indeed he thought he
had thought of it himself. But Daisy knew.

The tragic farce had to preserve the tone required of public
performances.

"Daisy dear, won't you come?" she asked. "Three is the best company
of all, I think."

Daisy turned over a leaf of the paper rather too smartly for a public
performance.

"Indeed, I think I won't, Aunt Jeannie," she said. "I had such a long
row before breakfast. I feel frightfully disinclined to move."

And she waited to hear Lord Lindfield urge her to come. But he was
already half-way towards the house. Daisy just raised her eyes, and
saw him already distant, and she felt that which she had often heard
of before, but passed over as unintelligible. Now she understood it,
for her heart swelled.

Aunt Jeannie followed after a general remark or two, to which Daisy
could scarcely reply. And after that more trials were in store, for
Willie Carton brought his patient presence out under the elm-tree
which had promised so well and performed so badly, and lay on the
grass and pretended to read a book.

It was very stupid of him to come, so Daisy thought, and rather selfish.
She had given him so firm an answer, and if he reopened the question
again she was determined to speak even more plainly. But he did nothing
of the kind, and Daisy, quieting down