g for an egotist with an egotist's
early and lively knowledge of the world and of himself to come
clamouring to a girl for charity. It _is_ true that almost any man can
make a young girl think she loves him if he is selfish enough to do it.
Is her ignorance a fault? All her training deprecates any acquisition of
worldly knowledge: it is not for her: her value is in her ignorance.
Then when she naturally makes some revolting mistake and attempts to
escape to decency and freedom once more there is a hue and a cry from
good folk and clergy. Divorce? It is a good thing--as the last resort.
And a woman need feel no responsibility for the sort of society that
would deprive a woman of the last refuge she has!"

He raised his eyes, curiously, in time to intercept hers.

"So--you did not know me after all, it seems," she said with a faint
smile. "You never suspected in me a _Vierge Rouge_, militant, champion
of her downtrodden sex, haranguing whomsoever would pay her the fee of
his attention. Did you?"

And as he made no reply: "Your inference is that I have had some unhappy
love affair--some perilously close escape from--unhappy matrimony." She
shrugged. "As though a girl could plead only a cause which concerned
herself.... Tell me what you are thinking?"

She had risen, and he stood up before her, fascinated.

"Tell me!" she insisted; "I shall not let you go until you do!"

"I was thinking about you."

"Please don't!... Are you doing it yet?" closely confronting him, hands
behind her.

"Yes, I am," he said, unable to keep his eyes from her, all her beauty
and youth and freshness troubling him, closing in upon him like subtle
fragrance in the golden forest dusk.

"Are you still thinking about me?"

"Yes."

The rare sweet laughter edged her lips, for an instant; then something
in his eyes checked her. Colour and laughter died out, leaving a pale
confused smile; and the straight gaze wavered, grew less direct, yet
lost not a shade of his expression which also had changed.

Neither spoke; and after a moment they turned away, walking not very
near together toward the house.

The sunshine and the open somehow brought relief and the delicate
constraint between them relaxed as they sauntered slowly into the house
where Shiela presently went away to dress for the Ascott function, and
Hamil sat down on the veranda for a while, then retired to undertake the
embellishment of his own person.

CHAPTER IX

THE INVAS