r all."

She was not slow to see the swift shadow of disappointment that crossed
his face, though he said heartily enough:

"Changed his mind, has he? Good!"

"Yes; I persuaded him," Peg said laconically.

She was fully aware that Faith was close beside her, and it gave her a
fierce sort of joy to know that the girl's eyes were turned upon her
with the faintest shadow of suspicion in them.

When Forrester appeared Peg called to him quickly.

"Come and sit next to me, Mr. Forrester. The back seat's the most
comfortable."

Faith's lips moved as if she would have spoken, but she closed them
again and took her place beside Digby without comment.

Not one of the four could have said that the day was enjoyable. There
was an intangible something in the air which they all could feel but
none of them explain.

They drove into the heart of the country and lunched at a wayside inn.
Faith was very quiet, and she kept glancing at Peg and her husband with
scared eyes.

Afterwards, when they went out into the woods in their wonderful autumn
tints, she found herself with Digby, and, looking quickly round, saw
that her husband and Peg were some little distance behind, sauntering
along leisurely and apparently the best of friends.

She could hear Forrester's deep voice and Peg's rather loud laugh, and a
queer sense of unwantedness crept into her heart.

"A penny for your thoughts!" Digby said, touching her arm, and she
started and smiled and said they were not worth anything.

"It would be a penny badly invested," she said with an effort at
lightness.

Digby looked down at her and swiftly away again. He knew quite well that
it was for this girl that he lingered so long in his friend's house, and
there was bitterest envy in his heart.

Forrester had always been lucky. The best of this world's goods had
always gone his way.

He had envied him for his business capabilities and gift of making
money, but he envied him more now because he had this girl for his wife.

"Aren't the woods lovely?" Faith asked, with an effort to break the
silence. "I've never seen anything quite so lovely."

"You must get Forrester to take you abroad," Digby said, stifling a
sigh. "Have you ever been out of England?"

"No."

"Always lived in London?"

"Yes."

"You haven't really begun to live yet, then," he told her.

Their eyes met, and there was a queer, wistful look in the man's that
brought the colour rushing to Faith's cheeks, th