d and paused, with his cigar half-way to his lips.

"I'm greatly tempted to accept it, do you know!" she said.

He laughed.

"Don't: you'll be vanquished. Is that too candid, too--brutal?" he
said.

"So brutal that I _will_ accept it," she said. "Is that ring of yours a
favorite?"

"I've had it ever since I can remember. It was my mother's," he said,
rather gravely.

She held out her hand, upon which the costly gems glittered in the
sunlight.

"Choose one to set against it," she said quite quietly.

Howard, roused for once from his sleepy cynicism, met her gaze with
something like astonishment.

"You mean--?" he said, in a low voice.

"I mean that I am going to try to meet your iceberg. You will play
fair, Mr. Howard? You will stand and look on and--be silent?"

He smiled and leant back as if he had considered her strange, audacious
proposal, and felt confident.

"On my honour," he said, with a laugh. "You shall have fair play!" She
laughed softly. "You have not chosen my stake," she said meaningly.

"Ah, no. Pardon! Let me see." He took her hand and examined the rings.
"This--I think it's the most valuable."

"It does not matter," she said. "You will not win it. May I look at
yours?"

He extended his hand with an amused laugh; but without a smile, she
said:

"Yes, it is a quaint ring; I like quaint things. I shall wear it on my
little finger."

She dropped his hand quickly, for at that moment Stafford rode round
the bend of the drive. His face was grave and almost stern in its
preoccupation, but he caught sight of them, and raised his hat, then
turned his horse and rode up to the terrace.

"Good-morning, Stafford," exclaimed Howard. "Where have you been?
Hallo! Anything happened? You're coated all over with mud: had a fall?"

He nodded carelessly as he turned to the beautiful girl, lying back now
and looking up at his handsome face with an air of languid
indifference.

"What a lovely day, Miss Falconer! Where are all the others? Are you
not going for a drive, on the lake, somewhere?"

"I have just been asking Mr. Howard to take me for a row," she said,
"but he has refused."

Stafford laughed and glanced at his watch.

"I can quite believe it: he's the laziest wretch in existence. If
you'll transfer the offer to me, we'll go after lunch. By George,
there's the bell!"

"Thanks!" she murmured, and she rose with her slow grace. "I'd better
get into an appropriate costume. Mr. Howard, wha