hunger, and
rested from toil, just as his fathers had done before him, literally
fulfilling the law: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.

And perhaps if Magda had never crossed his path Dan Storran might have
gone his way contentedly, toiling from sun-up to sun-down till all his
days were finished.

Even although she had crossed it, she might still have left him pretty
much as she found him--unawakened to the deeps of his own nature--if
she had remained in her present ambiguous mood, half-remorseful, half
indifferent. But it was precisely at this particular juncture that it
pleased Fate to give a fresh twist to her swiftly turning wheel.

Storran did not come in until dinner was half over, and when finally he
appeared he was somewhat taciturn and avoided meeting Magda's eyes. June
got up from the table and went dutifully into the kitchen to fetch the
joint of meat and vegetables which she had been keeping hot for him
there. Abruptly Dan followed her.

"Sorry I'm late, June," he said awkwardly. "Here, give the tray to me;
I'll carry it in."

June paused in the middle of the kitchen, flushing right up to the soft
tendrils of hair that curled about her forehead. It was weeks since Dan
had offered to relieve her of any of her housewifely tasks, although at
one time he had been wont to hurry home, if he could manage to do so, on
purpose to help her. Dozens of times they had laid the table together,
punctuating the process with jokes and gay little bursts of laughter and
an odd kiss or two thrown in to sweeten the work. But not lately--not
since the visitors from London had come to Stockleigh Farm.

So June blushed and looked at her husband with eyes that were suddenly
sweet and questioning. She knew, though she had not told him yet, that
there was a reason now why he should try to save her when his greater
strength could do so, and for a moment she wondered shyly if he had
guessed.

"Why, Dan, Dan----" she stammered.

His face darkened. Her obvious surprise irritated him, pricking his
conscience.

"It's not very complimentary of you to look so taken aback when I offer
to carry something for you," he said. "Anyone might think I never did
wait on my wife."

The blood drained away from June's face as suddenly as it had rushed
there.

"Well, you don't often, do you?" she returned shortly.

They re-entered the sitting-room together and Magda glanced up, smiling
approval. She, too, was feeling somewhat c