ly behind him and just nipped one of the letters,
readdressed to you, out of his hand. I read the address and then posted
the letter for him. It was very simple."

He recounted the incident with a little swaggering air of bravado,
boyishly delighted at the success of his small ruse. Vexed as she
was Magda could hardly refrain from smiling; the whole thing was so
eminently un-English--so exactly like Davilof!

"Well, now that you have seen me, will you please go away again?" she
said coolly, reopening her book as though to end the conversation.

He regarded her with unqualified reproach.

"Won't you even ask me to tea?" he said plaintively.

"Certainly not," Magda was beginning. But precisely as she spoke June
Storran, looking more herself again after her short sleep, came towards
them from the house.

Her face brightened as she caught sight of Davilof. Even to June's
inexperienced eyes it was quite obvious that he admired the woman
with whom he was talking. The very way he looked at her told her
that. Presumably he was one of her London friends who had motored
to Devonshire to see her. No man--within the limited scope of June's
knowledge of men--did that deliciously absurd, extravagant kind of thing
unless he was tremendously in love. Nor would any nice woman let a man
take such a journey on her behalf unless she reciprocated his feelings.
Of this June--whose notions were old-fashioned--felt assured. So her
spirits rose accordingly. Since, if these two were on the verge of
becoming engaged, the mere fact would clear away the indefinable shadows
which seemed to have been menacing her own happiness from the time Miss
Vallincourt had come to Stockleigh.

"Tea is just ready," she announced, approaching. "Will you come in? And
perhaps your friend will have tea with us?" she added shyly.

Davilof was presented and June repeated her invitation. He shot a glance
of triumph at Magda.

"I shall be delighted, madame," he said, giving June one of his quaint
little foreign bows. "But--the sun is shining so gloriously--might we
not have it out here?"

June looked round her doubtfully. As is often the case with people born
and bred in the country, it never occurred to the Storrans to have the
family meals out-of-doors, and June felt considerable misgiving as to
whether Dan would appreciate the innovation.

"Ah, please, madame!" pleaded Davilof persuasively. "Let us have it
here--under this tree. Why, the tree grows here e