aturally
occupied his mind, and he was not thinking of anything else when he
noticed Lady Arabella, who had opened the door of the carriage, slip from
it with a quick gliding motion. She was already among the snakes when he
called out to warn her. But there seemed to be no need of warning. The
snakes had turned and were wriggling back to the mound as quickly as they
could. He laughed to himself behind his teeth as he whispered, "No need
to fear there. They seem much more afraid of her than she of them." All
the same he began to beat on the ground with a stick which was lying
close to him, with the instinct of one used to such vermin. In an
instant he was alone beside the mound with Lady Arabella, who appeared
quite unconcerned at the incident. Then he took a long look at her, and
her dress alone was sufficient to attract attention. She was clad in
some kind of soft white stuff, which clung close to her form, showing to
the full every movement of her sinuous figure. She wore a close-fitting
cap of some fine fur of dazzling white. Coiled round her white throat
was a large necklace of emeralds, whose profusion of colour dazzled when
the sun shone on them. Her voice was peculiar, very low and sweet, and
so soft that the dominant note was of sibilation. Her hands, too, were
peculiar--long, flexible, white, with a strange movement as of waving
gently to and fro.

She appeared quite at ease, and, after thanking Adam, said that if any of
his uncle's party were going to Liverpool she would be most happy to join
forces.

"Whilst you are staying here, Mr. Salton, you must look on the grounds of
Diana's Grove as your own, so that you may come and go just as you do in
Lesser Hill. There are some fine views, and not a few natural
curiosities which are sure to interest you, if you are a student of
natural history--specially of an earlier kind, when the world was
younger."

The heartiness with which she spoke, and the warmth of her words--not of
her manner, which was cold and distant--made him suspicious. In the
meantime both his uncle and Sir Nathaniel had thanked her for the
invitation--of which, however, they said they were unable to avail
themselves. Adam had a suspicion that, though she answered regretfully,
she was in reality relieved. When he had got into the carriage with the
two old men, and they had driven off, he was not surprised when Sir
Nathaniel spoke.

"I could not but feel that she was glad to be