s stockings. From the moment he had come to Stockleigh the number and size of the said holes had increased appreciably, for, although five weeks had elapsed sinc

cott, whom he had adopted as guide, philosopher, and friend, and whom he regarded as a

hen letting them suck the milk from off his fingers; who beneficently contrived that hardly a load of hay was driven to the great rick without Coppertop's small person perched proudly a

ldish companionship, the more so as she found herself frequently alone these days. June Storran was naturally occupied about he

ement. Either it was: "Would you care to see the hay-loader at work?" Or: "I've just bought a couple of pedigree Devon cows I'd like to show you, Miss Vallincourt." Or, as yeste

nnaway in Dan's high dog-cart, while Gillian and June stood

have gone?" Gillian as

the wide-apart blue eyes June turned upon her there was something of t

u see"-the sensitive colour as usual coming and going

uneasiness-that queer "trouble ahead" feeling which descends upon us sometimes, wi

hint that it might be kinder of her not to monopolise so much of Dan's society. And then the crisp sound of a horse trotting on the ha

neck and, springing to the ground, came

p step. Let me lift

y we

ical good looks. He was a magnificent specimen of manhood, and the good yeoman blood in him, which had come dow

n as easily as though she were a ch

ghed up

Ridd'!" she e

d to be ridiculously flattered by a feminine tribute to his ph

a feather! I could c

!" concluded

way from her sli

w it right enough

and electric in the atmosphere, turned quickly and, leaving Storran to

ooked up fro

back? Did you h

ought straight off the Moor. They were rearing and plunging all over the place. I loved them! By the way, I'm gong t

puckered Gil

Mrs. Storran

a st

arth shou

with a vague discomfor

ing here and, of course, the Storrans want to make it as nice as they

eaving Gillian to digest as best she might the hint that her

oy to her to see Coppertop's rather thin little cheeks filling out and growing sunburnt and rosy. He had not picked up

e lore that her environment had taught her, must almost inevitably hold for a man of Storran's primitive way of life the fascination of something new and rather wonderful. To contra

ve, at other times strung up to a species of forced gaiety-a gaiety which had the cold sparkle of frost or diamonds. With all her faul

old Lady Arabella, to whom the jigsaw puzzle of human motives and impulses was always a matter of absorbing interest, and who, as more

xistence in general. She reflected bitterly that she had been a fool to let slip her h

's example-that to let a man count for anything much in her life was the biggest mistake a woman could

change. Change and amusement to drug her mind so that she need not think. Whether a

astering desire to escape from London-for a few weeks, at least, to get right away from her

er, and which had slowly deepened as the days slipped by, had somehow soothed

she had stirred other men. And she carelessly accepted the fact, without a thought that in playing with Dan Storran's emotions she was dealing with a man who knew none of the moves of the game, to whom the art of love-making