through the quiet of the house.

"Ladybird, where _are_ you? Come back!"

And without a thought of what she intended to say, Honor went out to
the completion of her day's work. That was her practical way of
looking at the matter.

"It will be easy enough," she reflected as she went. The entreaty in
Desmond's voice assured her of that.

But in the drawing-room doorway she stood still, extraordinarily
still. For Desmond himself confronted her; and she had not anticipated
the ordeal of a face-to-face encounter.

Involuntarily, inevitably, their eyes met, and lingered in each
other's depths. It was their first real greeting since his return; and
they felt it as such. It was the first time also that Desmond had seen
her completely since his lightning-flash of self-knowledge; and in the
same instant the same thought sprang to both their minds--that, in the
past three weeks, the detested shade had served them better than they
knew.

For a full minute it seemed as if these two, whose courage was above
proof, did not dare risk movement or speech. But it was no more than a
minute. Each was incapable of suspecting the other's hidden fear; and
now, as always, Evelyn was the foremost thought in the minds of both.

Desmond broke the spell by one step forward.

"I want Ladybird," he said abruptly. "Where is she?"

"I'm sorry. She has just gone out; but she won't be long."

Honor knew what must come next; knew also that she could neither lie
to him nor tell him the truth.

"What possessed her to go out again? Do you know where she went?"

"Yes, Theo, I do know," she answered, coming into the room, and
speaking with a noble directness that was like a light thrown across
tortuous ways. "It was unavoidable. I would rather not say any more.
You can trust me, can't you?"

"As I trust God and my own soul," he replied with profound conviction.
"Did she seem--much upset?"

"Yes,--terribly upset. Not without reason. She told me everything. May
I speak of it, Theo? You won't think me--intrusive?"

He gave her a quick, reproachful glance.

"_You?_ Say what you please. I was a brute to her; and I know it. But
I swear I wasn't hard on her till she refused to break with Kresney.
Did she give you any sort of reason for that?"

"Yes; and I have quite cleared up the difficulty; though I'm afraid
you mustn't ask me how."

"You seem hedged about with mysteries this evening," he remarked, a
trifle curtly. "I confess I like daylight,