ainted her with the fact of Major
Hunt-Goring's presence and its cause.

"I do wish Nick had been here," she said in conclusion.

"He may elect to stay for ever so long. I don't know what we shall do
with him."

Violet, however, was by no means dismayed by the prospect. "Oh, I enjoy
Major Hunt-Goring," she said. "You leave him to me. I'll entertain him."

"Hateful man!" said Olga.

Whereat Violet laughed and pinched her cheek. "You know you like him!"

"I detest him!" said Olga quickly.

It was certainly with no excess of cordiality that a few minutes later
she greeted her guest. He was standing in the hall with one arm in a
sling when she and Violet descended the stairs, an immense man of about
five-and-forty with a very decided military bearing and dark eyes of
covert insolence.

Max was with him, and Olga experienced a very novel feeling of relief to
see him there. She advanced and shook hands with extreme frigidity.

"I am sorry you have had an accident," she said.

"Very good of you," said Major Hunt-Goring, his eyes boldly passing her
to rest upon Violet. "Managed to crack my thumb tinkering at my old
motor. Dr. Wyndham tells me that you have been kind enough to ask me to
lunch. How do you do, Miss Campion? Charmed to meet you! Someone told me
you were yachting in the Atlantic."

"Heaven forbid!" said Violet. "Yachting is simply another word for
imprisonment to me. I told Bruce I should certainly drown myself if I
went with them."

"I should like to introduce you to a form of yachting that is not
imprisonment," said Hunt-Goring.

Violet laughed. "Oh, I should have to be mistress of the yacht for
that."

"Even so," he rejoined significantly.

"And I shouldn't have any men on board with the exception of the
sailors," she went on.

"And the captain," said Hunt-Goring.

"Oh, dear me, no! I would be my own captain."

"You'd be horribly bored before the first week was out," observed the
major, as he followed her into the dining-room.

She laughed gaily. "There isn't a single man of my acquaintance in whose
company I shouldn't be bored to extinction long before that."

"Oh, come!" he protested. "You don't speak from experience. You condemn
us untried."

"I know you all too well," laughed Violet.

"You know me not at all," declared Hunt-Goring. "I appeal to Miss
Ratcliffe. Am I the sort of man to bore a woman?"

"I am no judge," said Olga somewhat hastily. "I never have time to be
bored with