m a
November sky, and leaving it cold and hard.

Mr. Quest, who was a man who saw everything, saw this also, and smiled
bitterly.

"Don't be alarmed, Belle," he said in a low voice; "I have brought Mr.
Cossey with me."

She flushed up to the eyes, a great wave of colour, and her breast
heaved; but before she could answer, Edward Cossey, who had stopped
behind to wipe some mud off his shoes, entered the room, and politely
offered his hand to Mrs. Quest, who took it coldly enough.

"You are an early visitor, Mr. Cossey," she said.

"Yes," said her husband, "but the fault is mine. I have brought Mr.
Cossey over to ask if you can give him a lift up to the Castle this
afternoon. I have to go there to lunch, and have borrowed his
dogcart."

"Oh yes, with pleasure. But why can't the dogcart come back for Mr.
Cossey?"

"Well, you see," put in Edward, "there is a little difficulty; my
groom is ill. But there is really no reason why you should be
bothered. I have no doubt that a man can be found to bring it back."

"Oh no," she said, with a shrug, "it will be all right; only you had
better lunch here, that's all, because I want to start early, and go
to an old woman's at the other end of Honham about some fuchsia
cuttings."

"I shall be very happy," said he.

"Very well then, that is settled," said Mr. Quest, "and now I must get
my plans and be off to the vestry meeting. I'm late as it is. With
your permission, Mr. Cossey, I will order the dogcart as I pass your
rooms."

"Certainly," said Edward, and in another moment the lawyer was gone.

Mrs. Quest watched the door close and then sat down in a low armchair,
and resting her head upon the back, looked up with a steady, enquiring
gaze, full into Edward Cossey's face.

And he too looked at her and thought what a beautiful woman she was,
in her own way. She was very small, rounded in her figure almost to
stoutness, and possessed the tiniest and most beautiful hands and
feet. But her greatest charm lay in the face, which was almost
infantile in its shape, and delicate as a moss rose. She was
exquisitely fair in colouring--indeed, the darkest things about her
were her violet eyes, which in some lights looked almost black by
contrast with her white forehead and waving auburn hair.

Presently she spoke.

"Has my husband gone?" she said.

"I suppose so. Why do you ask?"

"Because from what I know of his habits I should think it very likely
that he is listening be