d soft, with
curious lights in them, but, as she settled herself beside him in the
pale moonlight it seemed to him that "dainty" did not describe her
very well. She was rather elusively ethereal.

"I really don't think you could expect me to make any admission of
that kind about my cigar, Miss Hamilton," he said. "Still, it would
perhaps have been excusable. You see, I have just come out of the
Bush."

Violet Hamilton smiled. "You are not accustomed to throw anything away
up there?"

"No," answered Nasmyth, with an air of reflection; "I scarcely think
we are. Certainly not when it's a cigar of the kind Mr. Acton supplies
his guests with."

He imagined that his companion satisfied herself that the man she
evidently desired to avoid had not gone away yet, before she turned to
him again.

"Aren't you risking Mrs. Acton's displeasure in sitting out here
alone?" she inquired. "You are probably aware that this is not what
she expects from you?"

"I almost think the retort is obvious." And Nasmyth wondered whether
he had gone further than he intended, when he saw the momentary
hardness in his companion's eyes. It suggested that the last thing her
hostess had expected her to do was to keep out of the way of the man
who had followed her on to the veranda. He accordingly endeavoured to
divert her attention from that subject.

"Any way, I find all this rather bewildering now and then," he said,
and indicated the lights and laughter and music in the house behind
him with a little movement of his hand. "This is a very different
world from the one I have been accustomed to, and it takes some time
to adapt oneself to changed conditions."

He broke off as he saw the other man slowly turn away. He looked at
the girl with a smile. "I can go on a little longer if it appears
worth while."

Violet Hamilton laughed. "Ah," she said, "one should never put one's
suspicions into words like that. Besides, I almost think one of your
observations was a little misleading. There are reasons for believing
that you are quite familiar with the kind of life you were referring
to."

It was clear to Nasmyth that she had been observing him, but he did
not realize that she was then watching him with keen, half-covert
curiosity. He was certainly a well-favoured man, and though his
conversation and demeanour did not differ greatly from those of other
young men she was accustomed to; there was also something about him
which she vaguely recognize