he said, crestfallen.

"It is only that I do not wish to be spoken to. It hurts my head to
listen."

He meekly took his bicycle from the ditch and wheeled it along beside
her to the Beeches without another word. They went in through the
conservatory, and parted in the dining-room. Before leaving him she said
with some remorse, "I did not mean to be rude, Mr. Erskine."

He flushed, murmured something, and attempted to kiss her hand. But she
snatched it away and went out quickly. He was stung by this repulse, and
stood mortifying himself by thinking of it until he was disturbed by the
entrance of a maid-servant. Learning from her that Sir Charles was in
the billiard room, he joined him there, and asked him carelessly if he
had heard the news.

"About Miss Wylie?" said Sir Charles. "Yes, I should think so. I believe
the whole country knows it, though they have not been engaged three
hours. Have you seen these?" And he pushed a couple of newspapers across
the table.

Erskine had to make several efforts before he could read. "You were a
fool to sign that document," he said. "I told you so at the time."

"I relied on the fellow being a gentleman," said Sir Charles warmly.
"I do not see that I was a fool. I see that he is a cad, and but for
this business of Miss Wylie's I would let him know my opinion. Let me
tell you, Chester, that he has played fast and loose with Miss Lindsay.
There is a deuce of a row upstairs. She has just told Jane that she must
go home at once; Miss Wylie declares that she will have nothing to do
with Trefusis if Miss Lindsay has a prior claim to him, and Jane is
annoyed at his admiring anybody except herself. It serves me right; my
instinct warned me against the fellow from the first." Just then
luncheon was announced. Gertrude did not come down. Agatha was silent
and moody. Jane tried to make Erskine describe his walk with Gertrude,
but he baffled her curiosity by omitting from his account everything
except its commonplaces.

"I think her conduct very strange," said Jane. "She insists on going to
town by the four o'clock train. I consider that it's not polite to me,
although she always made a point of her perfect manners. I never heard
of such a thing!"

When they had risen from the table, they went together to the
drawing-room. They had hardly arrived there when Trefusis was announced,
and he was in their presence before they had time to conceal the
expression of consternation his name brou