ould believe?"

Lord Elterton looked at her. What a strange woman!

"Yes," he said simply, "you can believe me when I tell you I have never
been so attracted by any one in my life."

"Oh! for that!" she answered contemptuously. _"Mon Dieu!_ how often I
have heard of that!"

This was not what he had expected. There was no empty boast about the
speech, as there would have been if Laura Highford had uttered it--she
was fond of demonstrating her conquests and power in words. There was
only a weariness as of something banal and tiring. He must be more
careful.

"Yes, I quite understand," he said sympathetically. "You must be bored
with the love of men."

"I have never seen any love of men. Do men know love?" she asked, not
with any bitterness--only as a question of fact. What had Tristram been
about? Lord Elterton thought. Here he had been married to this divine
creature for a whole week, and she was plainly asking the question from
her heart. And Tristram was no fool in a general way, he knew. There was
some mystery here, but whatever it was there was the more chance for
him! So he went on very tactfully, trying insidiously to soothe her, so
that at last when they had arrived Zara had enjoyed her walk.

Montfitchet Tower was all that remained of the old castle destroyed by
Cromwell's Ironsides. It was just one large, square room, a sort of
great hall. It had stood roofless for many years and then been covered
in by the old Duke's father, and contained a splendid stone chimney
piece of colossal proportions. It had also been floored, and had the
raised place still, where the family had eaten "above the salt." The
rest of the old castle was a complete ruin, and at the Restoration the
new one had been rebuilt about a mile further up the park.

Lady Ethelrida had collected several pieces of rough oak furniture to
put into this great room which in height reached three stories up, and
the supports of the mantelpieces of the upper floors could be seen on
the blackened stone walls. It was here she gave her school treats and
tenants' summer dances, because there was a great stretch of green,
turfy lawn beyond, down to the river, where they could play their games.

And on a wet day it was an ideal picnic place.

A bright wood fire was already blazing on top of the ashes that for many
years had never been cleared out, and a big jack swung in front of
it--for appearance sake! What fun every one seemed to be having, Zara
thou