ou go. Yet you smile! And
to-day you are hurt, and you still smile!"

"I smile at my thoughts," I said grandiloquently. "And you are wrong,
Mr Maplestone. It doesn't annoy me at all. Why should it? You are as
free to walk about as I am. I have no right to complain. And my
conscience is clear! _I_ have done nothing of which I have reason to be
ashamed."

"You mean," he cried, "you mean that?--"

Then his voice broke off sharply, and his forehead wrinkled in dismay.
"_What's that_? That mark on your arm. _Blood_?"

He pointed. I looked, and sure enough a dull red patch was spreading
over the muslin sleeve of my dress. The blow had evidently cut the
skin, and this was the result. I felt dreadfully sorry for myself, and
rather faint, and altogether considerably worse than I had done before,
as a result of beholding these visible signs of injury. So, I was
content to see, did Mr Maplestone himself. He really looked horribly
worried and distressed, and kept glancing at me with anxious eyes, as if
every moment he expected me to collapse.

But he never offered his arm! He came with me as far as the gate, and
then held out his hand in farewell. It would have been churlish to
refuse, so I put my own hand in his just for a moment.

"Don't shake it, please," I said. "It hurts." And then, because it
_did_ seem such an odd thing to say, I smiled again, a feeble watery
smile.

He dropped my hand like a hot coal, and fled.

I limped into the house and told Charmion all about it, and cried
quarts. I was mottled all over, black and blue.

CHAPTER TEN.

MRS MERRIVALE CONFESSES.

Next morning a groom came over with kind inquiries from the Hall. Mr
and Mrs Maplestone were anxious to hear if Miss Wastneys had recovered
from the shock of yesterday. Miss Wastneys returned thanks for kind
inquiries. She was suffering a good deal of pain, but her injuries were
not serious.

Recovered, indeed! When I was a mass of bruises and aches, to say
nothing of jumpy nerves. I was not inclined to make light of my
injuries to Mr Robert Maplestone.

Later on the General's valet made his appearance.

"General Underwood was anxious to hear how Miss Wastneys was this
morning. He was distressed to hear that she had been hurt."

That was more tactful! Moreover, on receiving the bulletin, the man
informed our maid that the old gentleman was rarely upset because he had
been rude to the young lady. As soon as he wa