he would not go in. He had letters to write, he
said, and he wanted to get them off his mind.

"You do not believe me," he laughed; "you believe that we Easterns are
all indolent, shiftless. But no, even I can be most industrious at
times. Why, while I have been in London, I have worked harder than an
Arab."

"Do Arabs work hard?"

"Ah, you do not believe me. But I can assure you that my activity and
industry have been wonderful. You would never guess why."

"Oh, yes," said Olive; "men of business work to make money."

"Ah, no, I think I have lost money; but that does not matter, because I
have done what I set out to do. _A rividerici_, signorina."

"_A domani._"

"You know Italian then?"

"Only a little."

"But still a little. That is good. There is no other language when you
know Italian. _A domani_, then. Shall I meet you here, and then we can
walk to the links together?"

"No, I have some sick people to see before I start, but I shall be
passing The Homestead at ten o'clock."

"That is well. _Buona sera_, Signorina."

But Signor Ricordo did not go back to The Homestead. Instead he walked
up to the golf links, and spent hours on the great moors beyond. He
seemed to be trying to weary himself, for he tramped from peak to peak,
not seeming to care whither he was going. It was after midnight when he
reached the house, nevertheless he met Olive with a smile the next
morning.

"I shall think that the world has libelled your English weather," he
said almost gaily, looking up at the blue skies. "And now for the
battle. I feel as though to-day will create a new epoch in my life."

Olive answered him by a pleasant laugh, yet she wondered what he meant.

CHAPTER XXV

THE COMING OF WINFIELD

Nothing of importance happened during the golf match on the links.
Neither Ricordo nor Olive played their best, and when the eighteenth
green was reached both seemed relieved.

"What is the time, signore?" asked Olive.

"It is just after one, signorina."

"Then it is too late for me to go home to lunch," said Olive.

"That is well," said Ricordo. "You have made such excellent arrangements
here that the matter of lunch can easily be dealt with. Moreover, unlike
many clubs, you have not insisted on the idiotic rule of men and women
lunching in different rooms. As a matter of fact, knowing we could not
finish until one, I took the liberty of telling the good woman here that
she must use her culinary skill on