Even the weakest
of us is not dependent upon others for support. There is only one sure
guide. Trust yourself. Be faithful to the best part of yourself. You
know what is good and what is ugly. Don't be coerced, don't be led into
the morass."

She looked at him and laughed gaily. Her mood had changed once more
with chameleon-like swiftness.

"It is all very well for you," she declared. "You are six foot four,
and you look as though you could hew your way through life with a
cudgel. One could fancy you a Don Quixote amongst the shams, knocking
them over like ninepins, and moving aside neither to the right nor to
the left. But what is a poor weak girl to do? She wants some one, Mr.
Andrew, to wield the cudgel for her."

It was several seconds before he turned his head. Then he found that,
although her lips were laughing, her eyes were longing and serious. She
sprang suddenly to her feet and leaned towards him.

"This is the most delightful nonsense," she whispered. "Please!"

She was in his arms for a moment, her lips had clung to his. Then she
was away, flying along the sands at a pace which seemed to him
miraculous, swinging her hat in her hands, and humming the maddening
refrain of some French song, which it seemed to him was always upon her
lips, and which had haunted him for days. He hesitated, uncertain
whether to follow, ashamed of himself, ashamed of the passion which was
burning in his blood. And while he hesitated she passed out of sight,
turning only once to wave her hand as she crossed the line of
grass-grown hillocks which shut him out from her view.

CHAPTER XVI

"To-morrow," the Princess said softly, "we shall have been here a
fortnight."

Cecil de la Borne came and sat by her side upon the sofa.

"I am afraid," he said, "that leaving out everything else, you have
been terribly bored."

"I have been nothing of the sort," she answered. "Of course, the last
week has been a strain, but we are not going to talk any more about
that. You prepared us for semi-barbarism, and instead you have made
perfect sybarites of us. I can assure you that though in one way to go
will be a release, in another I shall be very sorry."

"And I," he said, in a low tone, "shall always be sorry."

He let his hand fall upon hers, and looked into her eyes. The Princess
stifled a yawn. This country style of love-making was a thing which she
had outgrown many years ago.

"You will find other distractions very soon