ing there amid the sensuous falling
of gorgeous blossoms, would have recalled some graceful, purring,
treacherous feline, beautiful in its satin-skinned curves, yet withal
none the less deadly of intent towards the foolish creatures who should
constitute its prey. In this man, however, in spite of the sharp
awakening which the last couple of weeks had brought with them, her arts
begat no repulsion. There was no breaking away from the old spell so
easily. A mist floated before his eyes, and the old tremble came into
his voice, as he replied--

"Friends! I should have thought you had plenty. For instance--"

"For instance what?"

"Well, I was going to say, look how anxious we have all been to see you
become your old self again; but it struck me that after what you begun
by saying I had better not."

"Will you do something if I ask you?" she said suddenly.

"Certainly, if it is anything within my power."

"I want you to take me for a ride--now, this morning. Will you?"

"With pleasure," he answered, brightening up--all prudent resolves
scattered to the winds.

"I think it will do me good. Besides--I want to talk to you. Now, I'll
go and get ready. But mind--don't let's have any of the others, or it
will be no use. Make some excuse about there being no horses or
something."

And she started off indoors, while he went round to see about getting
the horses up from the large paddock, wherein a certain supply of the
noble animal was always kept for home use.

Violet was not much of a rider; in fact, she was rather timid in the
saddle. But she had a good seat for all show purposes, and being one of
those girls who do everything gracefully, she looked as well on
horseback as anywhere else.

In the eyes of her present escort, this lovely sunshiny morning, she
looked more than bewitching; which being so, it is not surprising that
all his strongly formed and salutary resolutions should rapidly ooze out
at his finger-ends. For he had half-unconsciously formed many
resolutions, not the least of which was that he would think no more of
Violet Avory--at any rate, except as a friend.

Though his strong, self-contained nature had rendered him an easy prey
to her wiles--easier because so thorough, once he had succumbed--yet it
supplied a wholesome counterbalance. Which counterbalance lay in an
unswerving sense of self-respect.

Try as she would, Violet had not been able to conceal altogether her
partiality for