ges
also."

"And having enjoyed them, will you graciously condescend to come out
there with me?"

"But yes; of course I will."

He turned on his heel; and they went out together. In the strong
Indian moonlight her soft blue dinner-dress, sweeping the grass behind
her, was blanched to a silvery pallor; her bare neck and arms gleamed
like marble touched into life; and unconsciously she swayed a little
towards him as she walked, like a tall flower in a breeze. The radiant
mystery of earth and sky, the scarcely less radiant mystery of
womanhood beside him, conspired with her veiled mood of gentle
aloofness to strike his defences from him. But he kept his hands in
his pockets by way of safeguard; and because he had small skill in
broaching a difficult subject, he held his tongue.

Half-way across the lawn, she came deliberately closer.

"You know, you hurt me cruelly this afternoon, Eldred."

"Did I, lass? That was abominable of me. But you must make
allowances, even if you don't understand. I'm a man, and you're a
woman. That seems to be the root of the difficulty. And now I'm half
afraid I may hurt you again."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a clumsy brute; and I do it without meaning to. But I
suppose it's plain to you that we can't go on much longer as we are
doing now?"

"Of course we can't." She let out a breath of relief. "I've been
wondering when you were going to see that."

"I have seen it all along. Only, for the life of me, I didn't know how
to make the next move. But I have just had a talk with Desmond, . .
about his wife. He wants to send her to Sheik Budeen, the minute she's
fit to spend a night in a doolie."

"Where . . and what . . is Sheik Budeen?"

The perceptible change in her tone disconcerted him. But the thing had
to be got through; and he went ahead without swerving.

"It is an apology for a Hill Station, about fifty miles north of this.
Just a handful of bungalows, on an ugly desolate rock, rising straight
out of the plain. No trees; no water, except what they collect in a
tank for use. But being nearly four thousand feet up, it's a few
degrees cooler than this: and probably after a week or two there Mrs
Desmond would be fit to stand the journey to Dalhousie."

It was characteristic of him that he made no attempt to soften facts:
and Quita, edging a little away from him, lifted her head.

"Is it settled when one is to start for this inviting spot?" she asked,
critically ex