ould have been their first
guest since their marriage, because Rachel, most certainly, did not like
her; but, after that meeting at the Massiters' the girl had flung a
passionate and incoherent correspondence upon Rachel and had ended by
practically inviting herself.

Roddy liked her; Rachel knew that--so perhaps after all it had been a
good thing to have her there. Rachel's dislike of her was founded on a
complete distrust. "She's all wrong and insincere and beastly. I'll
never have her here again...." And yet, really, Miss Raseley had behaved
herself, had been most quiet and decorous and _most_ affectionate.

The electric light was delicately shaded, the curtains were drawn,
outside was the storm, here cosiness and shining comfort.

"Oh! _darling_ Rachel--I _am_ so glad you've come--I do so want
tea----"

"Where's Roddy?"

"Just come in--He'll be here in a minute----"

Rachel came over to the fire and was busy over the tea-table.

"Well, Nita, what have you been at all the afternoon?"

"Oh! that silly old book. Rachel, how _could_ you tell me----"

"What book?"

"Oh! _you_ know--you lent it me. Something like drinking--_you_ know. By
that man Westcott--_such_ a silly name."

"_The Vines!_--Didn't you like it?"

"Like it! My dear Rachel, why, they go on for pages about each other's
feelings and nothing happens and I'm sure it's most unwholesome. They're
all so unhappy and always hating one another. I like books to be
cheerful and about people one knows--don't you?"

"Well, Nita dear, it's a good thing we don't all like the same things,
isn't it? Sugar?"

"Yes, dear, you know--lots--Darling, have you got a headache? You _do_
look rotten--you _do_ really."

Rachel knew that she must keep an especial guard to-day: she was
irritable, out of sorts. She would have liked immensely to send Nita to
have her tea in the nursery, were there one.

"No, I'm all right. But I wanted to get out and this storm stopped me."

"You do look dicky! Oh! what do you think! Roddy's taking us over to
Hawes to-morrow to lunch if the weather's anything like decent. He's
just fixed it up--sent a wire----"

"To-morrow? But _I_ can't.... He knows. I've got Miss Crale coming
here----"

"Only old Miss Crale? Put her off----"

"I can't possibly--I've put her off once before. She wants to talk about
her Soldiers' Institute place--" Then Rachel added more slowly, "But
Roddy knew----"

"Oh! he said you'd got some silly old engag