worth the trouble. To speak
angry words is the most foolish thing I know."

Saton glanced at the clock upon the mantelpiece.

"I am going out for an hour," he said.

"To Beauleys?" she asked, mockingly.

"Somewhere near there," he answered. "Good night!"

He strolled out, hatless, and with no covering over his thin black
dinner-coat. He crossed the meadow, and climbed the little range of
broken, rocky hills, from which one could see down even into the
flower-gardens of Beauleys. He could see there no sign of disturbance,
save that there were two motor-cars before the door. Slowly he made
his way to the lodge gates, and passing through approached the house.
There were many lights burning. A certain repressed air of excitement
was certainly visible. Saton longed, yet dared not, to ask for news
from the people at the lodge. At any rate, the blinds were still up,
and the doctors there. Probably the man was alive. Perhaps, even, he
might recover!

He struck off from the drive, and followed a narrow path, which led at
first between two great banks of rhododendrons, and finally wound a
circuitous way through an old and magnificent shrubbery. He reached a
path whence he could command a view of the house, and where he was
himself unseen. He looked at his watch. He was five minutes late, but
as yet there was no sign of Lois. He composed himself to wait,
watching the birds come home to roost, and the insects, whom the heat
had brought out of the earth, crawl away into oblivion. The air was
sweet with the smell of flowers. From a little further afield came the
more pungent odor of a fire of weeds. The great front of the house,
ablaze though it was with lights, seemed almost deserted. No one
entered or issued from the hall door.

Half an hour passed. There was no sign of Lois. Then he saw her come,
very slowly--walking, as it seemed to him, like one afraid of the
ground upon which she trod. As she came nearer, he saw that her face
was ghastly pale. Her eyes, which wandered restlessly to the right and
to the left, were frightened, dilated. The thing had been a shock to
her, of course.

He stepped a little way out from the shrubs, showing himself
cautiously. She stopped short at the sight of him.

"Lois!" he called softly.

She looked at him, and a sudden wave of terror passed across her face.
She made no movement towards him. He himself was wordless, struck dumb
by her appearance. She gave a little cry. What the word wa