she said quickly.

"No, you needn't make any promise. Just bear me in mind, that's all;
though I don't suppose for a moment that you could forget me if you
tried," said Max with the utmost calmness.

"Why do you say that?" said Olga rather breathlessly.

It suddenly seemed to her that she had gone a little further than she
had intended. She made an instinctive effort to get back while the way
remained open.

But she was too late. She felt his hand tighten. For a moment she caught
that gleam in his eyes which always disconcerted her.

And then it was gone, even as his hand released hers. He turned back to
the writing-table with his supercilious smile.

"Because, fair lady," he said, "you have met your fate. If Hunt-Goring
pesters you any further, of course you will let me know. Hadn't you
better go now? The little god in the shrine will be jealous. And I have
work to do."

And Olga went, somewhat precipitately, her heart throbbing in such a
clamour of confused emotions that she hardly knew what had happened or
even if she had any real cause for distress.

CHAPTER XIV

THE DARK HOUR

He had not made love to her! That was the thought uppermost in Olga's
mind when the wild tumult of her spirit gradually subsided. He had not
so much as touched upon his own feelings at all. Not the smallest reason
had he given her for imagining that he cared for her, and very curiously
this fact inclined her towards him more than anything else. Had he
proposed to her in any more ardent fashion, she would have been scared
away. Possibly he had fathomed this, and again possibly he had not
wanted to be ardent. He was hard-headed, practical, in all he did. She
was sure that his profession came first with him. He probably thought
that a wife would be a useful accessory, and he was kind-hearted enough
to be willing to do her a good turn at the same time that he provided
for his own wants.

Violet's malicious declaration regarding a professional man's preference
for a plain woman recurred to her at this point and made her feel a
little cold. She did not know very much about men, and she had to admit
to herself that it might quite easily be the truth. And then she thought
of Hunt-Goring, reflecting with a shudder that that explanation would
not account for his preference, if indeed what Max said were true and he
actually did prefer her to Violet at whose feet he was so obviously
worshipping.

She wondered if she ought to tell