he seducing of a woman's
ear. Sabine knew that she was enjoying herself with a wild kind of
forbidden joy--but she did not analyze its cause. It could not be mean
to Henry just to talk about Heronac when she was not by word or look
deliberately trying to fascinate his friend--she was only being
naturally polite and casual.

"Arranstoun only wants the sea," Michael said at last, "and then it
would be as perfect as this. I have a big, old sitting-room, too, that
was once part of a great hall, and my bedroom is the other half--a suite
all to myself--but I have not been there for five years--I am going back
from here."

"How strange to be away from your home for so long," Sabine remarked
innocently. "Where have you been?"

Then he told her all about China and Tibet.

"I had taken some kind of distaste for Arranstoun and shirked going
there--I shall have to face it now, I suppose, because it is such hard
luck on the people when an owner is away, and so one must come up to the
scratch."

"Yes," she agreed, "one must always do that."

"I used to think out a lot of things when I was in the wilds--and I grew
to know that one is a great fool when young--and a great brute."

She began to pull her lavender to pieces--this conversation was growing
too dangerously fascinating and must be stopped at once.

"It is getting nearly breakfast-time," she said gaily, "and I just want
to pick a big bunch of sweet peas before the sun gets on them, won't you
help me?--and then we will go in."

She slid to the floor before he could put out a hand to assist her, and
with her swift, graceful movements led the way to the tall sticks where
the last of the summer sweet peas grew.

Here she handed him the basket and told him to work hard--and all the
while she chattered of the ways of these flowers, and the trouble she
had had to make them grow there, and would not once let the conversation
upon this subject flag.

"Some day when I live in England, I suppose I can have a lovely garden
there--it is famous for gardens, isn't it? I take in _Country Life_ and
try to learn from it."

"Yes," he answered, and grew stiff. The sudden picture of her living in
England--with Henry--came to him as an ugly shock.

"Before you settle down in England, I would like you to see
Arranstoun,--please promise me to come and stay there before you do? I
will have a party whenever you like. I would love to show it to
you--every part of it--especially the chape