oman when her beauty fades; she's only a
woman in the eyes of one half of mankind while it lasts."

"Do you think so?" Meg said. "I dare say you're right, but when one is
quite young one never stops to consider these things. As you get
older, I suppose you do."

The hit went home; the girl had claws.

"We are only as young as we look, are we not? These few weeks have
ragged you to pieces."

"I don't mind," said Meg. "It's been well worth it. You may as well
get ten years into ten weeks as ten weeks into ten years. I've been
gobbling up life, years and years of new experiences and sensations in
these last few weeks." Meg meant no more than her words would have
conveyed to any sweet-minded woman, but Millicent Mervill put her own
interpretation on them. Margaret was no mean fencer; she could hit
back as well as parry strokes.

"You've certainly said good-bye to conventions, my dear. I admire you
for taking your life into your own hands." The blue eyes searched
Margaret's; they spoke of a hundred things which made Margaret long to
throw the tumbler which she was placing on the table at her golden
head. Margaret was neither ignorant nor a fool; Millicent's eyes
explained her meaning.

"One has to say good-bye to conventions in the desert--nothing can be
too simple here. That's why Western fashions look so grotesque, our
ideas of becoming garments so ludicrous."

Meg had ignored the innuendoes. Her eyes rested on Millicent's absurd
shoes and fashionably-cut white serge coat and skirt--a charming suit,
but out of place in the hut.

"Is your brother still here?" Millicent asked the question with a
beautiful insouciance. She was perfectly well aware that he was
personally superintending the excavation of the tomb. Her words were
meant to annoy.

"Here?" Meg said. "In the hut at this moment, do you mean? No--he is
busy." Meg's eyes flashed with anger.

Michael was silently enjoying the battle of words and eyes which was
taking place between the two women. The very atmosphere was charged
with antagonism. He was delighted to find that Margaret held her own.

"No--I meant, is he still in the valley, or are you two alone here?
How deliciously romantic!" Millicent sighed. The sigh was more
suggestive than her words.

"My brother is in the tomb at this moment," Meg said. "You seem to
have very extraordinary ideas of the ways of excavators"--she had
flushed to the roots of her hair--"of the behavi