ds. Do you mean that?"--incisively.

She nodded silently, not trusting herself to speak.

"Thank you," he said curtly, and then Audrey Maynard's gay voice broke
across the tension of the moment.

"Mr. Trent, I simply cannot allow Sara to monopolize you any longer. Now
that we _have_ succeeded in dragging the hermit out of his shell, we all
want a share of his society, please."

Trent turned instantly, and Sara slipped across the room and took the
place Audrey had vacated by Miles's couch. He greeted her coming with a
smile, but there were shadows of fatigue beneath his eyes, and his lips
were rather white and drawn-looking.

"This is a lazy way to receive visitors, isn't it?" he said
apologetically. "But my game leg's given out to-day, so you must forgive
me."

Sara's glance swept his face with quick sympathy.

"You oughtn't to be at the 'party' at all," she said. "You look far too
tired to be bothered with a parcel of chattering women."

He smiled.

"Do you know," he whispered humorously, "that, although you're quite the
four nicest women I know, the shameful truth is that I'm really here on
behalf of the one man! I met him yesterday in the town and booked him
for this afternoon, and, having at last dislodged him from his lone
pinnacle, I hadn't the heart to leave him unsupported."

"No. I'm glad you dug him out, Miles. It was clever of you."

"It will give Monkshaven something to talk about, anyway"--whimsically.

"I suppose"--the toe of Sara's narrow foot was busily tracing a pattern
on the carpet--"I suppose you don't know why he shuts himself up like
that at Far End?"

"No, I don't," he answered. "But I'd wager it's for some better reason
than people give him credit for. Or it may be merely a preference for
his own society. Anyway, it is no business of ours." Then, swiftly
softening the suggestion of reproof contained in his last sentence, he
added: "Don't encourage me to gossip, Sara. When a man's tied by the
leg, as I am, it's all he can do to curb a tendency towards tattling
village scandal like some garrulous old woman."

It was evident that the presence of visitors was inflicting a
considerable strain on Herrick's endurance, and, as though by common
consent, the little party broke up shortly after tea.

Molly expressed her intention of accompanying Mrs. Maynard back to
Greenacres--the beautiful house which the latter had had built to her
own design, overlooking the bay--in order to inspect th