Mabel. "I'm giving Major Capstan a lift. If you think it's fair
on the horse to ask it to draw the three of us, get in, of course.
Otherwise, it's beautiful weather for a nice walk."

"I will walk," said Luke. "I prefer it." He wished to be alone.

He sat down on the first milestone in the road, and meditated with his
head in his hands.

Mabel. His wife. He was very good to her. He had been perfectly
faithful to her. And was it worth while? What did she think about him?
How much did she care for him? There were two men after her. He seemed
to visualize the situation as a scrap from the stop-press of a
newspaper.

1. MABEL.
2. DOOM.
3. CAPSTAN.

Also ran. Luke Sharper, Esq.

3

He recalled some of the things Jona had said to him in the tool-shed.
She had been rather frank in speaking of her husband.

"Bill's wonderful," she said. "He caught the tiger last night. When
the keeper couldn't get it. He does everything well. He is the most
fascinating man in the world--until you get used to him. I've got used
to him. He fascinates all women. That would not matter so much, but
nearly all women fascinate him. I pretend not to notice it. I think he
does it partly to see how I will take it. I remain merry and bright.
With a breaking heart, you understand. How much longer I shall be able
to stand it, I do not know. Oh, my hands are so cold."

He had noticed a pair of the gardener's gloves lying on the
lawn-mower. He handed them to her. She flung them away, a little
petulantly it seemed to him.

He rose from the milestone and walked on. Certain words seemed to keep
time with his footsteps. "She wants me to write to her. And I ought
not. She wants me to write to her. And I ought not."

He passed the post-office, and turned back to it again. Went on, and
again turned back. This time he entered with his mind all bemused.

"Have you any nice stamps?" he asked.

CHAPTER VII

Mabel looked very enraged as she entered the house. "Anything the
matter?" he enquired.

"Yes. You might not think so. As I do, probably you wouldn't. But
Ellen's got a new parasol, and Kate's got a swollen knee, and has got
to have it up."

"And I suppose it will be just the same with Ellen's parasol. I
suppose you wanted it the other way round--Dot to have the parasol and
Ellen to have the----"

"I wanted nothing of the kind. Why should I want my cook to go
peacocking about w