erything he had in the world; but he was aware of a twist in
that friend's nature which made him look at women with sardonic eyes.
It had not always been so. Some woman had given that cruel twist to a
loyal and trusting nature; some loved hand had dealt the wound that
festered in Ronald Kenna's heart; and Sarle, because he guessed this,
forgave his friend much. But he would never have forgiven had he known
what was passing there under his very eyes. The woman he loved was on
the rack, and he never guessed it because she smiled instead of crying
out.

And it was all to suffer again that evening. April knew that, as she
dressed herself carefully for dinner. There was no mistaking Kenna's
pressing request that they should be allowed to come to her table.
Sarle had not had time to ask for himself alone. Kenna had forestalled
him, and there was double craft in the action: he meant to keep his
eye, or rather his claw, on her, while preventing her from being alone
with Sarle. If she was in the fray to protect Sarle from the pain of
finding her out, he was in it to protect Sarle from her. The situation
might have been funny if it had not been grim. She could have laughed
at it but for her fear of Kenna, but for an old man's pain and misery,
but that the whole miserable structure of deceit rested on a girl's
drowned body.

She put on a black gown. It seemed only fitting to absent herself
awhile from the felicity of colour. Besides, all her joy in clothes
had gone. How gladly would she now have donned her own shabby
garments, if with them could have returned the old peace of mind! But
even the plain little demi-toilette of black chiffon was peerlessly
cut, and her whiteness glowed like a pearl through its filmy darkness.
There was no way of dressing her hair that would hide the white feather
on her forehead, and after trying once or twice she left it. It looked
very remarkable, that touch of age above her young, flower-like face.
She could not altogether hate it, for it was a scar won bravely enough,
and in desperate battle. Africa had not taken long to put its mark on
her!

The men were waiting for her in the lounge; Sarle looking radiantly
happy because he was sure of the society of the two people he cared for
most in the world; Kenna with a fresh device to try her composure.

"I want to see if you can remember the ingredients of that cocktail I
introduced to you at the 'Carlton' on a certain memorable evenin