rted. But Giles remained in his seat, kneeling
and with his face hidden. He was praying for a strength he sorely needed
to enable him to forget Anne and to remain faithful to the woman whom
his father had selected to be his wife. Not until the music of the organ
ceased and the verger came to extinguish the altar candles did Giles
venture to go. But by this time he thought Anne would surely be well on
her homeward way. He would return to his own place as fast as his motor
could take him, and thus would avoid temptation. At the present moment
he could not trust to his emotions.

Outside the expected storm had come on, and snow was falling thickly
from a black sky. The light at the lych-gate twinkled feebly, and Giles
groped his way down the almost obliterated pathway quite alone, for
every one else had departed. He reached the gate quite expecting to find
his motor, but to his surprise it was not there. Not a soul was in
sight, and the snow was falling like meal.

Giles fancied that his servant had dropped asleep in the inn or had
forgotten the appointed hour. In his heart he could not blame the man,
for the weather was arctic in its severity. However, he determined to
wend his way to the inn and reprove him for his negligence. Stepping out
of the gate he began to walk against the driving snow with bent head,
when he ran into the arms of a man who was running hard. In the light
of the lamp over the gate he recognized him as Trim, his servant.

"Beg pardon, sir, I could not get here any sooner. The car----" The man
stopped and stared round in amazement. "Why, sir, where's the machine?"
he asked, with astonishment.

"In your charge, I suppose," replied Ware angrily. "Why were you not
here at the time I appointed?"

"I was, begging your pardon, sir," said Trim hotly; "but the lady told
me you had gone to see Miss Kent back to The Elms and that you wanted to
see me. I left the car here in charge of the lady and ran all the way to
The Elms; but they tell me there that Miss Daisy hasn't arrived and that
nothing has been seen of you, sir."

Ware listened to this explanation with surprise. "I sent no such
message," he said; "and this lady, who was she?"

"Why, Miss Denham, sir. She said she would look after the car till I
came back, and knowing as she was a friend of yours, sir, I thought it
was all right." Trim stared all round him. "She's taken the car away, I
see, sir."

The matter puzzled Giles. He could not understa