few young men and women of two-and-twenty are 'noble' all the
time. A good many never are at all; and Margaret had at least the
excuse that the victim of her charms was no simple sensitive soul with
morbid instincts of suicide, like the poor youth who cut his throat for
Lady Clara Vere de Vere, but a healthy millionaire of five-and-thirty
who enjoyed the reputation of having seen everything and done most
things in a not particularly well-spent life.

Besides, she ran a risk, and knew it. The victim might turn at any
moment, and perhaps rend her. Sometimes there was a quick glance in the
almond-shaped eyes which sent a little thrill of not altogether
unpleasant fear through her. She had seen a woman put her head into a
wild beast's mouth, and she knew that the woman was never quite sure of
getting it out again. That was part of the game, and the woman probably
enjoyed the sensation and the doubt, since playing for one s life is
much more exciting than playing for one's money. Margaret began to
understand the lion-tamer's sensations, and not being timid she almost
wished that her lion would show his teeth. She gave herself the luxury
of wondering what form his wrath would take when he was tired of being
played with.

He was already approaching that point, on the day when Lushington was
looking out for him on the road through the Fausses Reposes woods. When
they were well away from the city, he slackened his speed as usual and
began to talk.

'I wish,' he said, 'that you would sometimes be in earnest. Won't you
try?'

'You might not like it,' Margaret answered, carelessly. 'For my part, I
sometimes wish that you were not quite so much in earnest yourself!'

'Do I bore you?'

'No. You never bore me, but you make me feel wicked, and that is very
disagreeable. It is inconsiderate of you to give me the impression that
I am a sort of Lorelei, coolly luring you to your destruction! Besides,
you would not be so easily destroyed, after all. You are able to take
care of yourself, I fancy.'

'Yes. I think my heart will be the last of me to break.' He laughed and
looked at her. 'But that is no reason why you should try to twist my
arms and legs off, as boys do to beetles.'

'I wish I could catch a boy doing it!'

'You may catch a woman at it any day. They do to men what boys do to
insects. Cruelty to insects or animals? Abominable! Shocking! There is
the society, there are fines, there is prison, to punish it! Cruelty to