h a brave display of indifference.

"Well, I'll see what Mr. Forrester says," she answered coolly. "If he
wants me to go--well.... He's master of the house, isn't he? I came here
because he asked me to, and so I guess I'll take my marching orders from
him."

CHAPTER XII

But in spite of her defiance, Peg was desperately unhappy. Her cheeks
burned as she walked out of the room, her head high in the air.

She was torn between her love for Forrester and her desire to secure his
happiness and her loyalty to her friend. She knew quite well what Faith
must be thinking, and while she was rejoiced that at last she had
succeeded in rousing her jealousy, she was bitterly ashamed of the part
she had set herself to play.

She went up to her gaudy room and shut the door, standing for a moment
leaning against it, her hands in her favourite position, on her hips.

What was she to do now? Would Forrester refuse to have her so summarily
turned out of his house? She did not see how he could very well go
against his wife's wishes.

For the first time the gaudiness of the room irritated her. It seemed a
vivid reminder of the vast difference that lay between her life and
Faith's. She caught up one of the peacock green cushions from an
armchair and flung it at a particularly offensive looking bird in the
wall-paper.

The violent action made her feel better. She opened the window wide and
cooled her hot cheeks with the September breeze.

It was still quite early in the morning, and she wondered how she could
occupy her time till Forrester came home. That Faith would not speak to
her she was sure. She was not at all surprised to hear presently from
one of the maids that Faith had gone out with Digby and was not
returning to lunch.

Peg made a little grimace. This was throwing down the glove with a
vengeance, but she only laughed as she turned away.

"I shan't be in either," she said, though she had no more idea than the
dead what she meant to do. But she put on her hat and coat and went out.

It was a lovely morning, sunny and with just a touch of crispness in the
air, as if during the night winter had passed that way and breathed on
the world.

Peg wandered round the West End staring vacantly into shop windows, but
her thoughts were far away. It was only when, towards one o'clock, she
began to feel hungry the sudden idea came to her that she would go home.

She had only visited her own people twice since she left them