well remember. No nice woman, Mrs. Carr, ever
likes to continually touch a man unless she loves him. You are always
listening for his voice and step, you are listening for them now. Your
eyes follow his face as a dog does his master's--when you speak to
him, your voice is a caress in itself. Shall I go on?"

"I think that it is unnecessary. Whether you be right or not, I will
give you the credit of being a close observer."

"To observe with me is at once a task and an amusement, and the habit
is one that leads me to accurate conclusions, as I think you will
admit. The conclusion I have come to in your case is that you do not
wish to see Arthur Heigham married to another woman. I spoke just now
of assistance----"

"I have none to give, I will give none. How could I look him in the
face?"

"You are strangely scrupulous for a woman in your position."

"I have always tried to behave like an honourable woman, Lady Bellamy,
and I do not feel inclined to do otherwise now."

"Perhaps you will think differently when it comes to the point. But in
the meanwhile remember, that people who will not help themselves,
cannot expect to be helped."

"Once and for all, Lady Bellamy, understand me. I fight for my own
hand with the weapons which Nature and fortune have given me, and by
myself I will stand or fall. I will join in no schemes to separate
Arthur from this woman. If I cannot win him for myself by myself, I
will at any rate lose him fairly. I will respect what you have told
me, but I will do no more."

Lady Bellamy smiled as she answered--

"I really admire your courage. It is quite quixotic. Hush, here come
the gentlemen."

CHAPTER XLV

A few days after the dinner at the Quinta Carr, the Bellamys' visit to
Madeira drew to a close. On the evening before their departure, Arthur
volunteered to take Lady Bellamy down to the parade to hear the band
play. After they had walked about a while under the shade of the
magnolia-trees, which were starred all over with creamy cups of bloom,
and sufficiently inspected the gay throng of Portuguese inhabitants
and English visitors, made gayer still by the amazingly gorgeous
uniforms of the officials, Arthur spied two chairs in a comparatively
quiet corner, and suggested that they should sit down.

"Lady Bellamy," he said, after hesitating a while, "you are a woman of
the world, and I believe a friend of my own. I want to ask your advice
about some