found that quite a considerable number of Audrey's friends--and
enemies--were gathered together under the shade of the trees, partaking
of tea and strawberries and cream. The _elite_ of the neighbourhood
might find many disagreeable things to say concerning Mrs. Maynard, but
they were not in the least averse to accepting her hospitality whenever
the opportunity presented itself.

Sara's heart leapt suddenly as she descried Trent's lean, well-knit
figure amongst those dotted about on the lawn. She had tried very hard
to accustom herself to meet him with composure, but at each encounter,
although outwardly quite cool, her pulses raced, and to-day, the first
time she had seen him since her return from London, she felt as though
all her nerves were outside her skin instead of underneath it.

He was talking to Miles Herrick. The latter, lying back luxuriously in
a deck-chair, proceeded to wave and beckon an enthusiastic greeting as
soon as he caught sight of Sara, and rather reluctantly she responded to
his signals and made her way towards the two men.

"I feel like a bloated sultan summoning one of the ladies of the harem
to his presence," confessed Miles apologetically when he had shaken
hands. "I've added a sprained ankle to my other disabilities," he
continued cheerfully. "Hence my apparent laziness."

Sara commiserated appropriately.

"How did you manage to get here?" she asked.

Miles gestured towards Trent.

"This man maintained that it was bad for my mental and moral health
to brood alone at home while Lavinia went skipping off into society
unchaperoned. So he fetched me along in his car."

Sara's eyes rested thoughtfully on Trent's face a moment.

It was odd how kindly and considerate he always showed himself towards
Miles Herrick. Perhaps somewhere within him a responsive chord was
touched by the evidence of the other man's broken life.

"Miss Tennant is thinking that it's a case of the blind leading the
blind for me to act as a cicerone into society," remarked Trent curtly.

Sara winced at the repellent hardness of his tone, but she declined to
take up the challenge.

"I am very glad you persuaded Miles to come over," was all she said.

Trent's lips closed in a straight line. It seemed as though he were
trying to resist the appeal of her gently given answer; and Miles,
conscious of the antagonism in the atmosphere, interposed with some
commonplace question concerning her visit to London.

"You're l