ntroduce you to my friend. It won't keep
us long. She has a sitting-room upstairs, but she has a cold, and
could not come down to you."

Meryl looked unwilling, but finally yielded to persuasion and
alighted. Outside the door of Carew's room, Diana was so afraid her
face would betray her, she had to pretend to sneeze, in order to hide
it with her handkerchief. Quite suddenly it had occurred to her
humour-loving mind, that if shocks were the order of the hour, Carew
and Meryl were going to have the biggest all to themselves for that
day at least. Then she opened his door and half pushed Meryl in in
front of her. They saw only a broad back at the window first, then he
half turned. The next instant the door closed softly, and Meryl found
herself alone in the room, face to face with Peter Carew.

There were a few tense seconds in which they each seemed trying to
realise the other; and then she understood. She went slowly towards
him, seeing with unerring tuition all the love in his eyes, and
without knowing it held out both hands.

And across the long years, that self that he had thought for ever dead
seemed to reawaken by leaps and bounds. He would always be somewhat
quiet perhaps, a little grave, but the spirit of vigour and reckless
daring was in him still, if sobered by sixteen years and all that the
years had brought. He did not stop to explain. Quite suddenly it all
seemed unnecessary. Between these two the hours of probing were ended.
He took her outstretched hands in his and drew her into his arms.

It was some time before he told her of his changed position; there was
so much else to tell first. And when at last it was said she paid
little heed.

She only looked at him a trifle anxiously, saying, "But, of course,
you could never give up Rhodesia? You wouldn't let any claim come
before hers?"

He kissed the finger-tips of the hand imprisoned in his, and murmured,
"Bless you; it would have gone hard with me if you had wanted me to
leave Rhodesia for good."

"I shall never do that," softly. "It was the Rhodesian policeman I
loved first. The other does not greatly matter, except that perhaps it
brought us together." Then with one of her rare flashes of humour she
added, "I'm not sure that we shall even have time for a honeymoon. We
may have to go up there any time about this settlement scheme of
father's and mine. As Diana is going to help William van Hert to run
South Africa generally, we must get to work qui