mbling breath, and a sob.

He caught her in his arms.

'Nelly, darling! Oh, I was a brute to talk to you like this.'

'No,' she said, struggling with herself--'No! Wait a moment.' She lay
against him trembling through every limb, while he kissed and comforted
her.

'I'm--I'm not a coward, George!' she said at last, gasping,--'I'm not
indeed. Only--well, this morning I had about a hundred and seventy hours
left--I counted them. And now there are fifteen less. And all the time,
while we talk, they are slipping away, so quick--so quick--'

But she was regaining self-control, and soon released herself.

'I won't do it again!' she said piteously, in the tone of a penitent
child. 'I won't indeed. Let's go home. I'm all right.'

And home they sped, hand in hand, silently. The little room when they
re-entered it was bright with firelight, because kind Mrs. Weston had
thought the flight chilly, and the white table laid out for them--its
pretty china and simple fare--tempted and cheered them with its look of
home. But Nelly lay on the sofa afterwards very pale, though smiling and
talking as usual. And through the night she was haunted, sleeping and
waking, by the image of the solitary boat rocking gently on the moonlit
lake, the water lapping its sides. She saw herself and George adrift in
it--sailing into--disappearing in--that radiance of silver light.
Sleepily she hoped that Sir William Farrell would not forget his
promise.

CHAPTER III

May I come in?'

Nelly Sarratt, who was standing beside the table in the sitting-room,
packing a small luncheon-basket with sandwiches and cake, looked up in
astonishment. Then she went to the door which was slightly ajar, and
opened it.

She beheld a very tall man standing smiling on the threshold.

'I hope I'm not disturbing you, Mrs. Sarratt--but I was on my way for a
day's sketching, and as my car passed your house, I thought I would like
to bring you, myself, the permission which I spoke of on Saturday. I
wrote yesterday, my friend was away from home but I got a telegram this
morning.'

The visitor held out a telegram, which Nelly took in some bewilderment.
It fluttered her to be so much thought for by a stranger--and a stranger
moreover who seemed but to wave his wand and things were done. But she
thanked him heartily.

'Won't you come in, Sir William?' she asked him, shyly. 'My husband will
be here directly.'

It pleased him that she had found out who he was.