ne seat.

"Stop just one moment, Godfrey. I didn't realize that you knew Mrs.
Crofton as well as you seem to do. I do beg of you to convey to her that
she ought to be more prudent. I'm quite serious as to the talk about Jack
Tosswill. They seem to have gone on a walk together yesterday afternoon,
and the girl at the post-office, who is often sent long distances with
telegrams and messages, saw them in the North Wood kissing one another."

Godfrey uttered an exclamation of surprise and disgust.

How extraordinary that a woman of Miss Pendarth's birth and breeding
should listen to, and believe, low village gossip!

"Really," he said at last, "that's too bad! I can't understand, Miss
Pendarth, how you can believe such a story--" He nearly added, "or allow
it to be told you!"

"I wouldn't believe everybody," she said in a low voice, "but I do
believe Jane Nichol. She's a sensible, quiet, reserved girl. She seems to
have passed quite close to them, but they were so absorbed in themselves
that they didn't see her. She told no one but her aunt, and her aunt told
me. I'm sorry to say I do believe the story, and I think you will agree
that what may be sport to your pretty friend might mean lifelong
bitterness to such a boy as Jack Tosswill." She added earnestly, "Can't
you say just a word to her?"

"Well, no, I don't see how I can! Still I promise you to try to do it if
I get the chance."

He felt sharply disturbed and annoyed, and yet he didn't believe a word
of that vulgar story! Of course it was foolish of Enid Crofton to go for
a long walk alone with Jack Tosswill. That sort of thing was bound to
make talk. What would the village people think if they knew how often he,
Radmore, and Mrs. Crofton had dined and lunched together during the three
weeks that he had been there? Thank Heaven, they didn't know, and never
would.

"Did you ever read the report of the inquest on Colonel Crofton?" asked
Miss Pendarth meaningly.

"I hadn't the chance. I was still in Australia," he said shortly.

"If you'll wait a moment I'll bring it to you," was the, to him,
astonishing reply.

Miss Pendarth walked off with her quick, light footsteps towards the
house, and Radmore, gazing after her, told himself that she was indeed
a strange woman. In some ways he had liked her far better to-day than he
had ever liked her before, but the low, silly bit of gossip she had just
told him filled him with disgust.

Very soon she was back, holdin