s nothing in that fair wood of his
with which she was not familiar, no thicket she had not travelled, no
stream she had not crossed, no kiss she could not return. His was a
discovered land, in which, as of right, she would reign. She had nothing
to hope from him but power, and solid pleasure. Her eyes said: How am I
to know whether I shall not want more than you; feel suffocated in your
arms; be surfeited by all that you will bring me? Have I not already got
all that?

She knew, from his downcast gloomy face, how cruel she seemed, and was
sorry. She wanted to be good to him, and said almost shyly:

"Are you angry with me, Claud?"

Harbinger looked up.

"What makes you so cruel?"

"I am not cruel."

"You are. Where is your heart?"

"Here!" said Barbara, touching her breast.

"Ah!" muttered Harbinger; "I'm not joking."

She said gently:'

"Is it as bad as that, my dear?"

But the softness of her voice seemed to fan the smouldering fires in
him.

"There's something behind all this," he stammered, "you've no right to
make a fool of me!"

"And what is the something, please?"

"That's for you to say. But I'm not blind. What about this fellow
Courtier?"

At that moment there was revealed to Barbara a new acquaintance--the
male proper. No, to live with him would not be quite lacking in
adventure!

His face had darkened; his eyes were dilated, his whole figure seemed
to have grown. She suddenly noticed the hair which covered his clenched
fists. All his suavity had left him. He came very close.

How long that look between them lasted, and of all there was in it,
she had no clear knowledge; thought after thought, wave after wave
of feeling, rushed through her. Revolt and attraction, contempt and
admiration, queer sensations of disgust and pleasure, all mingled--as on
a May day one may see the hail fall, and the sun suddenly burn through
and steam from the grass.

Then he said hoarsely:

"Oh! Babs, you madden me so!"

Smoothing her lips, as if to regain control of them, she answered:

"Yes, I think I have had enough," and went out into her father's study.

The sight of Lord and Lady Valleys so intently staring at Miltoun
restored hex self-possession.

It struck her as slightly comic, not knowing that the little scene was
the outcome of that word. In truth, the contrast between Miltoun and his
parents at this moment was almost ludicrous.

Lady Valleys was the first to speak.

"Better comic than ro