hostess's
approval. Her light flow of conversation seemed to disconcert rather
than put him at his ease, his answers came with difficulty, his eyes had
none of their usual brightness. Well! the man who could fall in love
with Teresa Mallison would hardly be likely to appreciate Grizel
Beverley. Cassandra made up her mind to take her departure, but some
minutes elapsed before she really rose, and then to her surprise
Peignton also made his farewells, and accompanied her to the door.
Outside, the car stood waiting, and as he helped her into it and held
out his hand in farewell, his face in the fading light looked pale and
tired, and Cassandra spoke on a quick impulse:

"Can I give you a lift? It will be just as quick to go round by the
cross roads. Unless you prefer to walk..."

"Thank you, I'd be grateful. I've had a heavy day!"

He seated himself beside her, and the car sped smoothly down the narrow
road. For some moments neither spoke, but Cassandra was conscious of a
pleasurable tingling of excitement. She had had so many lonely drives
seated in solitary state among the luxurious fitments of her Rolls
Royce, that the presence of a companion was in itself an agreeable
novelty. Besides, as she reminded herself, she had a double reason in
being interested in Dane Peignton, since both for Bernard's sake and
Teresa's it was her duty to cultivate the friendship. She turned
towards him, met the brown eyes, and smiled involuntarily. They were
_nice_ eyes!

"Well! what do you think of the bride?"

"Just what I was going to ask you!"

"I agree with Teresa. She is adorable!"

The mention of Teresa aroused no flicker in his face. His brows
contracted in consideration.

"Is she? I'm not so sure. She does not strike me as a woman of very
deep feeling."

"You would not say that, if you had heard her talking before you came
in!"

"Wouldn't I? That's interesting. What was she talking about?"

"Oh!" The blood mounted into Cassandra's cheeks, she felt a sudden
unaccountable shyness. "Marriage! The relationship of husband and
wives--that sort of thing."

Peignton laughed: a breezy laugh without a touch of self-consciousness.

"Naturally! I might have known it. What else could you expect? She is
a bride, and head over heels in love,--must have been, to give up all
she did--naturally she'd want to prattle to another woman. Boring for
you, though, as you know so much more of the game."

Cassandra l