. That horrid
trap upset me, that's all."

He continued to look at her steadily. "That isn't why you won't have
anything to say to me," he said.

Her colour rose under his gaze, but she would not avoid it. "Does it
matter why?" she said.

"It does when I want to know," he answered. Again his look went to her
hands. "How the little brute scored you! So much for gratitude!"

"You don't expect gratitude from a creature wild with fright," said Toby.

She spoke rather breathlessly, and he saw that she was on the verge of
tears again. He got up and drew her to her feet.

"Let's walk for a bit!" he said.

She stood as one in doubt and he felt that she was trembling.

"I say--don't!" he said suddenly and winningly. "I won't do anything you
don't like, I swear. You shan't be bothered. Can't you trust me?"

She made a little movement towards him, and he put his arm round her
shoulders. They turned along the greensward side by side.

"It was awfully nice of you to come," Bunny said in that new gentle
voice of his. "I didn't mean you to get there first, but old Bishop is so
long-winded I couldn't get away."

"It didn't matter," said Toby with a nervous little smile.

"It did to me," said Bunny. "It would have saved you that anyway."

"But you'd have killed the hare," she said.

"Not if he hadn't been damaged," he said. "I'm not a brute. I don't kill
for the sake of killing."

She looked incredulous. "Most men do. Don't you hunt? Don't you shoot?"

"Oh, you're talking of sport!" said Bunny.

"Yes, it's called sport," said Toby, an odd little vibration in her
voice. "It's just a name for killing things, isn't it?"

Bunny considered the matter. "No, that's not fair," he decided. "Sport is
sport. But I prefer to walk up my game and I never countenance digging
out a fox. That's sport."

"There are very few sportsmen in the world," said Toby.

"Oh, I don't know. Anyway, I hope I'm one of 'em. I try to be," said
Bunny.

She gave him a quick look. "I think you are. And so is Jake."

"Oh, Jake! Jake's magnificent. He's taught me all I know in that line.
I used to be a horrid little bounder before I met Jake. He simply made
me--body and soul." Bunny spoke with a simple candour.

"P'raps he had good stuff to work on," suggested Toby.

Bunny's arm drew her almost imperceptibly. "I don't think he had. My
father was a wild Irishman, and my mother--well, she's dead too--but she
wasn't anything to be specially proud of