t she was
essential, she would have to turn her back on him. It was not a
pretty role.

There came a gentle tap at the door, and Daisy entered.

"Ah! you have come in, Aunt Jeannie," she said. "Did you get caught
in the storm?"

"Not to speak of. We did not go far. Lord Lindfield offered to take me
up to Maidenhead, but, as a matter of fact, we went to the corner of the
backwater. Oh, I promised not to laugh at him for the immensity of the
expedition, because it was I who proposed stopping under the chestnuts.
How charming he is, Daisy! And how is the headache?"

"Rather brilliant still, but it will get better. Aunt Jeannie, how
quickly you make friends with people."

There was something tearing to Jeannie's tender heart about this.
Daisy looked so white and tired, and so helpless, she who was usually
a perfect well-spring of high spirits and enjoyment. Jeannie longed
to take that dear head in her hands and kiss its trouble away, but it
was just that which she could not do. This trouble could not be
kissed away; it had to be burnt away--by a hand, too, that seemed
unconscious of its cruel work.

"With him, do you mean?" she asked lightly. "You can scarcely say I have
only now been making friends with him. I saw a good deal of him at one
time; in fact, he was rather devoted to me. But my eagle eye sees no
sign of a return of it. Does yours?"

The room was very dark with the blackness of the sky outside, and
Jeannie could see Daisy but indistinctly. Then with a wicked flare of
lightning it leaped into light, and the thunder rattled round the
eaves. But in that moment's flash Jeannie saw Daisy's face again,
mute, white, and appealing, and it was intolerable to her. Besides,
anything was better and less dangerous than a _tete-a-tete_ with
Daisy. At any moment she might tell her about Lord Lindfield and the
offer she expected. That would make her part infinitely worse to
play; it would make it impossible. At present, anyhow, so far as
Daisy knew, she was ignorant of it all.

She jumped at the appalling racket overhead.

"Oh, I hate thunder--I hate thunder," she said. "Let us come downstairs,
Daisy, where there are people. Besides, it is tea-time, is it not? Let
us go down. I came straight to my room, and Lord Lindfield, I think,
went to his. Alice will be anxious if she thinks we are still out.
Listen to the rain. How it will beat the flowers down! Come, dear."

"I have hardly had a word with you since you came