istance away in the gardens; his face was not towards her, and she
congratulated herself that he had not seen her. However, the
congratulations were premature; when she came back from the post she
found him standing just inside the gate waiting for her, obviously
waiting. At least it was obvious to her; she had caught people herself
before now, and so recognised that she was caught too plainly to
uselessly attempt getting away.

"Do you want to hear what happened yesterday?" she asked, with an
effrontery she did not feel. "I expect Denah has told you all, perhaps
a little more than all, still, enough of it was true."

"I want to speak to you," he said, and parted the high bushes that
bordered the left of the drive.

Julia reluctantly enough, but feeling that she owed him what
explanation was possible, went through. Behind the bushes there was a
small enclosed space used for growing choice bulbs; it was empty now,
the sandy soil quite bare and dry; but it was very retired, being
surrounded by an eight foot hedge with only one opening besides the
way by which they had come in through the looser-growing bushes. Julia
made her way down to the opening; with her practical eye for such
things, she recognised that it would be the best way of escape, just
as the loose-growing bushes offered the likeliest point of attack.
This, of course, did not matter to her, she being in the case of "he
who is down," but it might matter a good deal to Joost if his father
looked through the bushes, and he would never know how to take care of
himself.

"Well?" she said, when she had taken up this discreet position. But as
he did not seem ready she went on, "I really don't think there is
anything to say; I did wrong yesterday, not quite as much wrong as
your mother and Denah think, still wrong--what my own people would
have disapproved, at least if it were found out; that's the biggest
crime on their list--and what I knew your people would condemn
utterly. I am afraid I have no excuse to offer; I knew what I was
doing, and I did it with my eyes open. I did not see any harm in it
myself but I knew other people would, so I meant to say nothing. I had
deceived your parents before, and I meant to keep on doing it. You
know I had walked with that man lots of times before yesterday; all
the time your mother thought me so good to visit your cousin I really
enjoyed doing it because I walked with him."

"Do you love him?" The question was asked low