, and came to his aid at the eleventh hour. The inner door
opened, and Captain Guest appeared upon the threshold, cap in hand,
evidently returning from a solitary ramble, and by no means overjoyed to
have arrived at such an inopportune moment. He bowed, murmured some
inarticulate greeting, and would have passed by had not Geoffrey eagerly
blocked the way. For the moment the claims of friendship were non-
existent; he did not care whether Guest were pleased or annoyed; he was
simply a means of escape, to be seized on without compunction.

"Halloa, here you are! Just the man I wanted," he cried genially. "You
shall have the privilege of driving Miss Briskett home. I was going to
take her myself, but I've got some rather--er--pressing business to
attend to before dinner"--he chuckled mentally over the application of
the words--"so I'll stand aside in your favour. We are not going to
trust her out of our sight until she is delivered safely into her aunt's
keeping. Awfully sorry, Miss Briskett, but we shall meet again! You'll
come up to see Miss Ramsden, won't you? Do come! Come on Saturday--we
could make up a game of tennis if she is fit enough by that time."

He helped Cornelia to her seat courteously, yet with an underlying haste
which could not be concealed. Captain Guest gave him one look--a
murderous look--and murmured, "Delighted, I'm shaw!" in tones of ice.
Cornelia felt "ugly," and looked delightful; head erect, lips pursed,
eyes a-flash.

"Just as mad as he can be, to be obliged to be civil to `the girl' for a
short half hour! Guess there's one or two, several sizes bigger than
him, who would cross the ocean to-morrow for the chance! He's English--
real English!--the sort that's fixed up with liquid prejudice for blood,
and eye-glasses made to see nothing on earth but the British Empire.
Rather skeery at the present moment at being set down beside a bold
American hussy, with only a groom as chaperon! ... Well! I always was
tender-hearted. I'll pile it on all I know, to fix him in his opinions.
I'm made so's I ken't endoore to disappoint anyone in his
expectations!"

She turned deliberately to stare at the silent figure by her side.
Certainly he was a fine figure of a man! Her own countrymen who would
have travelled so far as to take his place, would have to be giants if
the "several sizes" bigger were to be taken in literal earnest. The
lean cheek showed the square formation of the jaw, the li