stopped the car abruptly. "I'm not going to press you, or
you'll never come near me again," she said. "I never press people to do
what they obviously don't want to. Do you think you would hate living
with me, Miss Moore? Or are you still giving the matter your
consideration?"

There was a hint of wistfulness in the arrogant voice that somehow
touched Juliet.

She sat silent for a moment; then: "If I might come to you for a week on
trial," she said. "You won't pay me anything of course. I think we
should know by that time if it were likely to answer or not."

"When will you come?" said Mrs. Fielding.

"Just when you like," said Juliet.

"To-morrow?"

"Yes, to-morrow, if that suits you."

"And if you don't hate me at the end of a week you'll come for good."

Juliet laughed. "No, I won't say that. I'll leave you a way of escape
too. We will see how it answers."

Mrs. Fielding held out her hand. "Good-bye! Next time you take your tea
on the shore, I want to be the guest of honour."

"You shall be," said Juliet.

CHAPTER IX

THE INTRUDER

"Everyone to his taste," remarked Green. "But I'd rather be anything
under the sun than Mrs. Fielding's paid companion." He glanced at
Juliet with a smile as he spoke, but there was a certain earnestness
in his speech that told her he meant what he said. He sat with his
back to a rock, smoking a cigarette. His attitude was one of repose,
but in the strong light his dark face showed a tenseness that did not
wholly agree with it.

"Do you really think you'll like it?" he asked, as Juliet did not speak.

She also had a cigarette between her lips, and there was genuine
relaxation in her fashion of lounging on the shingle.

"I really don't know," she said. "I've got to find out."

"Don't let them bully you!" said Green.

She smiled. "No, they won't do that. I think it is rather kind of them to
take me without references, don't you?"

"No," said Green.

She turned and surveyed him with a gleam of amusement in her look. "You
sound cross! Are you cross about anything?"

His eyes flashed down to hers with a suddenness almost startling. He did
not speak for a moment, then again he smiled abruptly with his eyes still
holding hers. "I believe I am," he said.

"I wonder why," said Juliet.

He laughed. "Yes, you do, don't you? Great impertinence on my part of
course. It's nice of you to put it so mildly."

"I don't think you impertinent," said Juliet; "only rather