g her face, Betty had cowered away to the wall and leaned there.

"What will he think!" she murmured. "O what will he think of me?"

My lord stood speechless awhile, his delicate features twitching with
emotion as he watched her bowed form.

"Betty dear," said he tenderly at last, "doth it matter to thee--so
much?"

"Charles!" she cried, "O Charles!" and in that stricken cry and the
agony of the face she lifted, he read her answer.

"Dearest," said he after awhile, clasping his arm about her, "here is
no cause for grief. I'll go to him in--in these curst floppy
things--he shall see for himself and I'll tell him all----"

"No!" said she rising and throwing up proud head. "I'll die first! We
will go through with it to the end--nobody shall know until you are
safe--none but you and I and Aunt Belinda. To speak now were to ruin
all. So, my Charles, whatsoe'er befall you shall not speak--I forbid
it!"

"Forgive me, Bess," he pleaded, "wilt forgive me for jeopardising
thy--thy happiness so?"

"Aye to be sure, dear boy!" she answered, kissing him. "Only now I
must go!"

"Go, Betty?"

"To him!" she sighed. "I must find out--just how and what he thinks of
me."

"Gad's my life, Bet!" sighed his lordship ruefully as he followed her
to the door, "I do think thou wert ever the braver of the two of us."

III

"Consequently Tom, dear lad," the Major was saying as he walked the
rose-garden arm in arm with the Viscount, "feeling for thee as I do and
because of the years that have but knit our affections the closer, I am
bold to ask thee what hath moved thee to run so great a risk o' thy
life--a life so young and promising."

"Why nunky," answered the Viscount, pressing the arm within his own
affectionately, "in the first place I'll confess to a pronounced
distaste for the fellow."

"Yes, Tom?"

"His air of serene assurance displeases me."

"Quite so, Tom."

"His air of cold cynicism annoys me."

"Well, Tom?"

"In fine sir, not to particularise, Mr. Dalroyd, within and without and
altogether, I find a trifle irksome."

"And so, Tom, for these trivialities, you picked a quarrel with a man
who is a notorious and deadly duellist?

"I believe I objected to his method of dealing cards, among other
things, sir."

"And now, Tom," said the Major, sitting down beside the sun-dial and
crossing his legs, "may I suggest you tell me the real reason--your
true motive?"

The Viscount began to pull at and arr