.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

The mechanicalness of his answer reassured her. "I mean, Mr.
Eaton,"--she forced her tone to be light,--"Miss Furden was not as
attractive to you as she might have been, because there has been some
other woman in your life--whose memory--or--or the expectation of
seeing whom again--protected you."

"Has been? Oh, you mean before."

"Yes; of course," she answered hastily.

"No--none," he replied simply. "It's rather ungallant, Miss Santoine,
but I'm afraid I wasn't thinking much about Miss Furden."

She felt that his denial was the truth, for his words confirmed the
impression she had had when singing with him the night before. She
drove on--or rather let the horse take them on--for a few moments
during which neither spoke. They had come about a bend in the road,
and the great house of her father loomed ahead. A motor whizzed past
them, coming from behind. It was only Avery's car on the way home; but
Harriet had jumped a little in memory of the day before, and her
companion's head had turned quickly toward the car. She looked up at
him swiftly; his lips were set and his eyes gazed steadily ahead after
Avery, and he drew a little away from her. A catch in her
breath--almost an audible gasp--surprised her, and she fought a warm
impulse which had all but placed her hand on his.

"Will you tell me something, Miss Santoine?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"I suppose, when I was with Mr. Avery this afternoon, that if I had
attempted to escape, he and the chauffeur would have combined to detain
me. But on the way back here--did you assume that when you took me in
charge you had my parole not to try to depart?"

"No," she said. "I don't believe Father depended entirely on that."

"You mean that he has made arrangements so that if I--exceeded the
directions given me, I would be picked up?"

"I don't know exactly what they are, but you may be sure that they are
made if they are necessary."

"Thank you," Eaton acknowledged.

She was silent for a moment, thoughtful. "Do you mean that you have
been considering this afternoon the possibilities of escape?"

"It would be only natural for me to do that, would it not?" he parried.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't mean that you might not try to exceed the limits Father has
set for you; you might try that, and of course you would be prevented.
But you will not" (she hesitated, and when she went on she was quoting
her f