f
to cope with this one as best she might, erecting out of her multifarious
duties a barrier calculated to dishearten the most hopeful knight.

But in thus constructing her defences there was one force with which she
omitted to reckon and against which she in consequence made no
preparation, a force which, nevertheless, was capable of shattering all
her carefully-laid schemes at a touch.

As she emerged among the last of the congregation from the church on the
Sunday morning following her visit to Baronmead, she found Lucas Errol
leaning upon the open lych-gate.

He greeted her with that shrewd, kindly smile of his before which it was
almost impossible to feel embarrassed or constrained. Yet she blushed
vividly at meeting him, and would gladly have turned the other way had
the opportunity offered. For there in the road below, doing something to
the motor, was Bertie.

"It's a real pleasure to meet you again, Miss Waring," said Lucas, in his
pleasant drawl. "I was just hoping you would come along. I met your
father before the service, and he promised to show me his orchids."

"Oh!" said Dot, nervously avoiding a second glance in Bertie's direction.
"Won't you come across to the Rectory then and wait for him there?"

"May I?" said Lucas.

He straightened himself with an effort and transferred his weight to his
crutch. Dot shyly proffered her arm.

"Let me!" said Bertie.

He was already on the steps, but Lucas waved him down, and accepted the
girl's help instead.

"We will go in the garden way," said Dot. "It's only just across
the road."

He halted terribly in the descent, and glancing at him in some anxiety
she saw that his lips were tightly closed. Overwhelming pity for the man
overcame her awkwardness, and she spoke sharply over her shoulder.

"Bertie, come and take my place! You know what to do better than I do."

In an instant Bertie was beside her, had slipped his arm under his
brother's shoulder, and taken his weight almost entirely off the crutch.
His active young strength bore the great burden unfalteringly and with
immense tenderness, and there ran through Dot, watching from above, a
queer little indefinable thrill that made her heart beat suddenly faster.
He certainly was a nice boy, as he himself had declared.

"That didn't hurt so badly, eh, old chap?" asked the cheery voice. "Come
along, Dot. You can give him a hand now while I fetch the car round.
There are no steps to the Rectory, so he wi