or sign, until Stanley
arrived for a cup of tea and to ask them to stroll up to the store
with him at the head of the valley. Diana agreed readily, having found
the hours somewhat tedious; but Meryl felt tired and headachy, and
chose to remain behind. Once, as casually as she could, she asked if
Carew had gone anywhere for the day.

"No, he's grinding away at his report for the Native Commission, and
as solemn as a judge. I don't think he has spoken two words all day."

"Is there some special haste then?"

"O no; it is just his mood. He gets a sort of black day sometimes,
when he barely answers if you speak to him, and looks like a bronze
figure. Then he grinds away at something or other as if his life
depended on it, and Moore and I have to just shut up."

When they had gone away up the valley Meryl sat on alone in the shade,
thinking deeply. Evidently he had some reason of his own for not
following up his promise, and she need not any longer expect him. He
did not want to take her, and probably was vexed that he had said that
he would. It did not seem very polite, but she hardly looked at it in
that way. Somehow, with this stern-featured soldier-policeman, the
ordinary amenities of conventional intercourse seemed to have little
weight. If he regretted his words and did not want to go, she liked
him better for calmly remaining away, than coming against his wish,
because he felt he ought. Another man would have done that, any man,
in fact; only Peter Carew, and a few like him, would calmly change his
mind and remain aloof without saying anything.

Yet how keenly she was disappointed. It was quite idle to pretend
otherwise to herself, and with a strength like his she calmly faced
the fact. When she went to bed the previous night she had lain awake
thinking of the morrow, hugging to her consciousness with shy
gladness that he was on the point of unbending at last and showing a
little friendliness. In a few days now they would be journeying on,
and she had begun to expect he would remain unbending to the last, and
let them go away, perhaps never to meet again, with nothing beyond the
official courtesy and the occasional sparring with Diana. And then had
come this sudden hope, and she had been strangely glad. One might live
a lifetime and not again meet a man quite like him. Even if their
intercourse were to be of the merest afterwards, still it was better
than nothing, better than a final end to all friendship when t