derstood. "Oh, no!" she said vehemently. "No, no! Trevor, you
won't? Say you won't! I--I couldn't bear that. Please, Trevor!"

"My dear," he said, "I shall never go away while you want me. But the
question is, do you want me?"

"I do!" she declared, almost passionately. "I do!"

"You are quite sure?" He looked suddenly deep into her eyes, so suddenly
that she could not avoid the look.

She quivered under it, but he did not release her. He searched her
upturned face closely, persistently, relentlessly, till, with a movement
of entreaty, she stretched up one hand and tremblingly covered his eyes.

"I am--quite sure," she said in a whisper. "And I--I don't like you to
look at me like that."

He stood still, suffering himself to be so blinded, till, gaining
confidence, she took her hand away.

"You won't ask me again, please, Trevor?" she said.

He smiled at her very kindly, but his voice, as he made answer, was
grave. "No, dear, I shall never ask you that again."

She took his arm once more with evident relief. "Let us go up to the
house," she said. "I expect Max is there already, waiting for us."

So they went up the weed-grown drive, and presently came into full sight
of the house. It was a large, rambling building of stone, some of it very
ancient, most of it covered with immense stacks of ivy. Another pair of
iron gates divided park from garden, and as they approached these a
lounging figure sauntered into view and came through to meet them.

Chris uttered a squeak of delight, and sprang forward. "Max!"

"Hullo!" said the new-comer.

He was a thick-set youth, with heavy red brows and a somewhat offhand
demeanour. His eyes were green and very shrewd. They surveyed Mordaunt
with open criticism. He was smoking a very foul-smelling cigarette.

Chris was very rosy. "Max," she said, "this is Trevor!"

"Hullo!" said Max again.

He extended a careless hand and gave his future brother-in-law a hard
grip. There was no particular friendliness in the action, it was
evidently his custom to grip hard.

"Come to investigate your new abode?" he said. "Are you going to pull it
down?"

"It is not my present intention," Mordaunt said.

"Of course he isn't!" said Chris. "Don't be absurd, Max. It is going to
be made lovely inside and out, and we are all going to live here."

"Are we?" said Max, with a sudden grin. "Who says so?"

He glanced at Mordaunt with the words, and it was Mordaunt who answered
him--

"I ho