rm round her. His face was very near her own, and his breath
came thick and fast, but he waited for her permission still. In his own
heart he made this kiss the crucial test of her faithfulness to him. But
Elizabeth drew herself away. It seemed as though she found his eagerness
distasteful.

"Then you don't care for me? You find that you don't love me!" said
Percival, almost too sharply for a lover. "I may go back to England as
soon as I like? I came only to see you. Tell me that my journey has been
a useless one, and I'll go."

She smiled as she looked at him. "You have not forgotten how to be
tyrannical," she said. "I hardly knew you when I first came in, because
you looked so quiet and gentle. Don't be foolish, Percival."

"Oh, of course, it is folly for a man to love you," groaned Percival,
releasing her hands and taking a step or two away from her. "You have
mercy on every kind of folly but that. Well, I'll go back."

"No, you will not," said Elizabeth, calmly. "You will stay here and
enjoy yourself, and go for a sail in the boat with us this evening, and
eat oranges fresh from the trees, and play with the children. We are all
going to take holiday whilst you are here, and you must not disappoint
us."

"Then you must kiss me once, Elizabeth." But Percival's face was
melting, and his voice had a half-laughing tone. "I must be bribed to do
nothing."

"Very well, you shall be bribed," she answered, but with a rather
heightened colour upon her cheek. And then she lifted up her face; but,
as Percival perceived with a vague feeling of irritation, she merely
suffered him to kiss her, and did not kiss him in return.

His next proceeding was to put his father through a searching catechism
upon the antecedents and abilities of the tutor, Mr. John Stretton, who
was by this time almost domiciled at the Villa Venturi. Mr. Heron's
replies to his son's questions were so confused, and finished so
invariably by a reference to Elizabeth, that Percival at last determined
to see what he could extract from her. He waited for a day or two before
opening the subject. He waited and watched. He certainly discovered
nothing to justify the almost insane dislike and jealousy which he
entertained with respect to Mr. Stretton; when he reasoned with himself
he knew that he was prejudiced and unreasonable; but then he had a habit
of considering that his prejudices should be attended to. He examined
the children, hoping to find that the ne