made his peace, you, who have done all the work from a
distance, naturally come into the circle of the paternal smile, knowing
it due to you. I see no other way. If Richard suspects that his father
objects for the present to welcome his daughter-in-law, hostilities will
be continued, the breach will be widened, bad will grow to worse, and I
see no end to it."

Adrian looked in her face, as much as to say: Now are you capable of
this piece of heroism? And it did seem hard to her that she should have
to tell Richard she shrank from any trial. But the proposition chimed in
with her fears and her wishes: she thought the wise youth very wise: the
poor child was not insensible to his flattery, and the subtler flattery
of making herself in some measure a sacrifice to the home she had
disturbed. She agreed to simulate as Adrian had suggested.

Victory is the commonest heritage of the hero, and when Richard came
on shore proclaiming that the Blandish had beaten the Begum by seven
minutes and three-quarters, he was hastily kissed and congratulated
by his bride with her fingers among the leaves of Dr. Kitchener, and
anxiously questioned about wine.

"Dearest! Mr. Harley wants to stay with us a little, and he thinks we
ought not to go immediately--that is, before he has had some letters,
and I feel... I would so much rather..."

"Ah! that's it, you coward!" said Richard. "Well, then, to-morrow. We
had a splendid race. Did you see us?"

"Oh, yes! I saw you and was sure my darling would win." And again she
threw on him the cold water of that solicitude about wine. "Mr. Harley
must have the best, you know, and we never drink it, and I'm so silly,
I don't know good wine, and if you would send Tom where he can get good
wine. I have seen to the dinner."

"So that's why you didn't come to meet me?"

"Pardon me, darling."

"Well, I do, but Mountfalcon doesn't, and Lady Judith thinks you ought
to have been there."

"Ah, but my heart was with you!"

Richard put his hand to feel for the little heart: her eyelids softened,
and she ran away.

It is to say much of the dinner that Adrian found no fault with it, and
was in perfect good-humour at the conclusion of the service. He did not
abuse the wine they were able to procure for him, which was also much.
The coffee, too, had the honour of passing without comment. These were
sound first steps toward the conquest of an epicure, and as yet Cupid
did not grumble.

After coffee they s