nter Lord Farquhart and
pique his jealousy by appearing with his rival.

"I tell you I'll not stand it, not for an instant," she was saying,
the roses in her cheeks a deep, deep damask and the stars in her eyes
beaming with unwonted radiance. "To hear you speak the world would
think that we had been married a twelvemonth! That you demanded your
rights like a commonplace husband, rather than that you sought my
favor. I'll warn you to change your manner, Mr. Harry Ashley, or
you'll find that you have neither rights nor favors."

It was at this instant that the Lady Barbara caught sight of Lord
Farquhart at his own end of the lime-shaded walk. Instantly her manner
changed, though the damask roses still glowed and the stars still
shone.

"Nay, nay, Hal"--she laid a caressing hand on his arm--"forgive my
lack of manners. I'm--I'm--perchance I'm over weary. We country maids
are not used to so much pleasure as you've given me in London." She
leaned languorously toward Ashley and he, made presumptuous by her
change of tone, slipped his arm about her slender waist.

The Lady Barbara slid from his grasp with a pretty scream of amazement
and shocked propriety. Then there might have followed a bit of
swordplay; indeed, the Lady Barbara hoped there would--the affianced
lover should have fought to defend his rights, the other should have
fought for the privileges bestowed by the lady, and all the time the
lady would have stood wringing her hands, moaning perchance, and
praying for the discomfiture of the one or the other. But,
unfortunately, none of this came to pass because, just at the critical
moment, just when Lord Farquhart, watched slyly by Lady Barbara's
starry eyes, was starting forward to defend his rights, Sylvia slipped
from behind a tree and flung herself with utter abandon upon Lord
Farquhart.

Now, in reality, Lord Farquhart tried to force the woman away from
him, but the Lady Barbara saw only that his hands were on her arms,
that, in very truth, he spoke to the girl! Turning on her heel, she
sped from the lime walk, followed by Mr. Ashley.

What ensued between Lord Farquhart and his Sylvia concerns the story
little, for he had already told her that her reign was over, that a
new queen had been enthroned in his heart. What ensued between the
Lady Barbara and her escort cannot be written, for it was but a series
of gasps and sharp cries on the lady's part, interspersed with
imploring commands on the lover's part