y, a brief flash of
amusement in his eyes. It was so like Kitty to dare a wire of this
description and chance how her explanation of it might be received by
the person most concerned. "But suppose Trenby declines point-blank to
release Nan?" he pursued. "What will you do then--with Peter on your
hands?"

"Well, at least Peter will understand what Nan is doing and why she's
doing it. Given that he knew the whole truth, I think he'd probably
run away with her. I know _I_ should--if I were a man! Now, will you
go and see Roger, please?"

"I suppose I shall have to. But it's a beastly job." Barry's usually
merry eyes were clouded.

"Beastly," agreed Kitty sympathetically. "But it's got to be done."

Ten minutes later she watched her husband drive away in the direction
of Trenby Hall, and composed herself to wait patiently on the march of
events.

* * * * * *

Barry looked pitifully down at the big, helpless figure lying between
the sheets of the great four-poster bed. Except for an unwonted pallor
and the fact that no movement of the body below the waist was visible,
Roger looked very much as usual. He waved away the words of sympathy
which were hovering on Barry's lips.

"Nice of you to come so soon," he said curtly. "But, for God's sake,
don't condole with me. I don't want condolences and I won't have 'em."
There was a note in his voice which told of the effort which his savage
self-repression cost him.

Barry understood, and for a few minutes they discussed, things in
general, Roger briefly describing the accident.

"Funny how things happen," he observed. "I suppose I'm about as expert
a driver as you'd get. There was practically nothing I couldn't do
with a car--and along come a dog and a kiddy and flaw me utterly in two
minutes. I've had much nearer shaves a dozen times before and escaped
scot-free."

They talked on desultorily for a time. Then suddenly Roger asked:

"When's Nan coming to see me? I told Isobel to 'phone down to Mallow
this morning."

"You're hardly up to visitors," said Barry, searching for delay. "I
don't suppose I ought to have come, really."

Roger looked at him with eyes that burned fiercely underneath his
shaggy brows.

"I'm as right as you are--except for my confounded back," he answered.
"I've not got a scratch on me. Only something must have struck me as
the car overturned--and a bit of my spinal anatomy's gone phut."

"You