now that matter being satisfactorily disposed of, you will come to
Brockhurst often," he said. It seemed to him that a certain joyous
equality had been established between him and his divinity, both by his
repudiation of all former knowledge of her, and by their moment of
laughter. He began fearlessly to make her little offerings. "Do you
care about riding? I am afraid there is not much to amuse you at
Brockhurst; but there are always plenty of horses."

"And I adore horses."

"Do you care about racing? We've some rather pretty things in training
this year. I should like awfully to show them to you."

But here the conversation, just setting forth in so agreeable a
fashion, suffered interruption. For the other lady, she of the
gray-green gown, sauntered forward from the Temple. The carriage of her
head was gallant, her air nonchalant as ever; but her expression was
grave, and the delicate thinness of her face appeared a trifle
accentuated. She came up to Madame de Vallorbes and passed her hand
through the latter's arm caressingly.

"You know, really, Helen, we ought to go, if we are not to keep your
father and the carriage waiting."--Then she looked up with a certain
determined effort at Richard Calmady. "We promised to meet Mr. Ormiston
at the first park gate," she added in explanation. "That is nearly a
mile from here, isn't it?"

"About three-quarters--hardly that," he answered. Her eyes were not
brown, he perceived, but a clear, dim green, as the soft gloom in the
under-spaces of a grove of ilexes. They affected him as fearlessly
observant--eyes that could judge both men and things and could also
keep their own counsel.

"Will you give your mother Honoria St. Quentin's love, please," she
went on. "I stayed here with her for a couple of days the year before
last, while you were at Oxford. She was very good to me. Now, Helen,
come----"

"I shall see you again," Richard cried to the lady of the cigarette.
But his horse, which for some minutes had been increasingly fidgety,
backed away down the hillside, and he could not catch the purport of
her answer. To the lady of the gray-green gown and eyes he said nothing
at all.

CHAPTER IV

JULIUS MARCH BEARS TESTIMONY

"So you really wish me to ask them both to come, Richard?"

Lady Calmady stood on the tiger-skin before the Gun-Room hearth. Upon
the said hearth a merry, little fire of pine logs clicked and
chattered. Even here, on the dry upland, the nig