to be amiable. And
they often were so inclined.

For his own curiosity he even asked to be presented to the redoubtable
Mrs. Van Dieman, and he returned at intervals to that austere
conservatory of current gossip and colonial tradition partly because it
was policy, socially, partly because, curiously enough, the somewhat
transparent charms of Virginia Suydam, whom he usually met there,
interested him--enough to make him remember a provocative glance from
her slow eyes--very slow, deeply lidded eyes, washed with the tint of
the sea when it is less blue than green. And the curious side of it was
that Malcourt and Virginia had met before, and he had completely
forgotten. It was difficult to tell whether she had.

He usually remembered women who looked at him like that, tucking them
away in his mental list to be investigated later. He had quite a little
list in his mental archives of women, wedded and otherwise, who
interested him agreeably or otherwise. Neither Mrs. Carrick nor Cecile
was on that list. Shiela Cardross was--and had been for two years.

* * * * *

Hamil, sitting on the terrace beside Mrs. Cardross, became very busy
with his note-book as soon as that languid lady resumed her book.

"If you're going to import wild boar from Germany," he said to Cardross,
"you'll have to fence in some ten miles square--a hundred square
miles!--or they'll take to the Everglades."

"I'm going to," returned that gentleman calmly. "I wish you'd ask
McKenna to figure it out. I'll supply the cypress of course."

Hamil leaned forward, a little thrilled with the colossal scheme. He
never could become quite accustomed to the vast scale on which Cardross
undertook things.

"That will make a corking preserve," he said. "What do you suppose is in
there now?"

"Some bears and deer, a few lynx, perhaps one or two panthers. The boar
will hold their own--if they can stand the summer--and I'm sure they
can. The alligators, no doubt, will get some of their young when they
breed. I shall start with a hundred couple when you're ready for them.
What are you going to do this afternoon?"

"Office work," replied Hamil, rising and looking at his marl-stained
puttees and spurs. Then he straightened up and smiled at Mrs. Cardross,
who was gently shaking her head, saying:

"The young people are at the bathing-beach; I wish you'd take a chair
and go down there--to please me, Mr. Hamil."

"Come, Hamil," added C