th the change in his eyes. The steadiness was still there,
the expression of unflinching purpose, but behind it all was that new
light now: the light she had never seen in Carew's eyes before.

"You look very well," she told him, warming swiftly to their old
friendship and forgetting her moments of trepidation. "You ... really
... you almost look as if you might have come into a kingdom!..."

"Perhaps I have," with a humorous gleam.

"Umh!... I'd be very sorry for the subjects; they would be ruled with
a rod of iron."

He pulled a chair forward, a large cosy one, such as he knew her soul
loved, and she sank down into it. He still stood upright, watching her
with kindly eyes.

"Well!..." he began. "You sent me a very curt summons."

Diana coloured a little, not quite clear where to begin.

"Won't you sit down? You seem so far away up there. I feel a little
lost somehow, you are so ... so ... Perhaps if you were to growl I
should feel more at home with you!..." she finished.

He smiled and took the chair beside her.

"I never did growl really. It was all your imagination."

"O, was it?..." emphatically. "Why, thunder in the distance was dulcet
music beside it!..."

"Well," he said again, "about that summons?..."

"It's just this way," began Diana. "I had a letter from Mrs.
Grenville...." She watched him keenly, and saw that he grasped at once
something of what the letter had contained.

"And she told you?..."

"Not very much, but enough, in my mind"--with a sudden flash--"to
justify my summons."

"I don't think I quite understand." He was grave again now, with a
line between the straight brows.

"Well, don't get too serious or you will frighten me. I suppose I'd
better be quite direct. You and I don't either of us care for much
beating about the bush and subterfuge, do we?"

He signified his agreement, and she ran on.

"I knew that Meryl cared for you; I have known it a long time. Yet she
was going to marry van Hert. And van Hert cared ... well, he cared for
someone else too, yet he was going to marry Meryl. It was just a silly
muddle altogether, do you see?... Honestly, I was at my wits' end-to
know how to prevent them making fools of themselves. Then came Mrs.
Grenville's letter. Mrs. Grenville had seen you. She had discovered
that you cared for Meryl, and she told me so. I didn't stop to think
then. I saw in a moment it was your business to help me help them out
of the tangle. So I just sent you