onscience-stricken, and to see
Dan helping his wife in this everyday, intimate sort of fashion seemed
to minimise the significance of that little incident which had occurred
by the river's edge.

"What a nice, polite husband!" she commented gaily. "Mr. Storran, you
really out to come up to London and give classes--'Manners for Men,' you
know. Very few of them wait on their wives these days."

June upset the salt and busied herself spooning it up again from the
cloth. There was no answering smile on her face. She was not quite clear
_why_ Dan had followed her out into the kitchen so unexpectedly, but she
sensed that it was not the old, quick impulse to wait upon her which had
actuated him.

Had she but known it, it was the same instinct, more primitively
manifested, which induces a man whose conscience is not altogether clear
respecting his loyalty towards his wife to bring her home an unexpected
gift of jewellery.

The disturbing memory of a lithe, scarlet-sheathed figure had been with
Dan all morning as he went about his work, and he was sullenly ashamed
of the riot which the vision occasioned within him and of his own utter
helplessness to master it. It--it was damnable! So he accompanied his
wife to the kitchen and offered to carry in the joint.

Following upon this incident the atmosphere seemed to become all at once
constrained and difficult. June sat very silent, her eyes holding that
expression of pain and bewilderment which was growing habitual to them,
while Storran hurried through his meal in the shortest possible time.
As soon as he had finished he pushed back his chair abruptly and, with
a muttered apology, quitted the room and went out again on to the farm.
June rose and began clearing the table mechanically.

"Can't I help you?" Gillian paused as she was about to follow Magda out
of the room. "You look so tired to-day."

June's lip quivered sensitively. She was in the state of nerves when a
little unexpected sympathy is the most upsetting thing imaginable.

"Oh, I can't let you!" she answered hastily. "No--really!"--as Gillian
calmly took the tray she was carrying out of her hands.

"Supposing you go and lie down for a little while," suggested Gillian
practically. "And leave the washing-up to Coppertop and me!"

The tears suddenly brimmed up into the wide-open blue eyes.

"Oh, I couldn't!"

"Wouldn't you like a little rest?" urged Gillian persuasively. "I
believe you'd be asleep in two minute