ouring to show that the whole thing is child's play,
and the merest walk over, you adjure me not to go, on the ground that I
shall come to grief if I do."

"And that day on the cliff; was my warning right or wrong then?"

His face softened at the recollection. For a moment they stood gazing
into each other's eyes.

"You saved a strange sort of life, Mona."

Instead of replying, she moved to the window and declared, in a
commonplace way, that there was a big dust-cloud whirling up the road;
for the place they were in was a certain staring and fly-blown
apartment, which did duty for "drawing-room," at the Barkly Hotel, and
now steps were approaching the door. The latter opened, admitting the
head and half the person of Sonnenberg.

"Beg pardon. Thought Suffield was here." Then meaningly and with an
impudent grin, "Sorry to interrupt. `Two's company,'" and the door
closed behind him.

"See now," went on Roden, "it isn't a case of going to the front. I'm
only going to ride over to the Camp for three or four days. It's a good
opportunity. Darrell wants to go too, so we are going together."

"Only two of you?"

"Oh, we may pick up others on the way."

"And what about getting back?"

"Must chance that."

Mona looked as if about to renew her pleading, but just then Suffield's
voice, and the voices of others were heard coming up the stairs; for it
was just before the one o'clock dinner at the Barkly. So she whispered
hurriedly:

"Dear, you will ride out with us this afternoon?"

"H'm! there are a lot of things to be put straight, and I start the
first thing in the morning. I don't like to shirk. What'll the Chief
say?"

"Mr Van Stolz? I'll ask him myself."

"No, no," he said, laughing at her eagerness, and locking his fingers in
hers, for her hands had crept into his after the interruption on the
part of the objectionable Jew. "I'll work it somehow. But, dear, you
must make Suffield wait, for I can't in conscience shut up shop this
side of four, at the earliest."

This side of four! Why, she thought about seven was going to be the
hoar named. Make Suffield wait! Why, Charlie should wait till midnight
if she chose. And the voice, the tone! When Roden spoke thus he could
make her do whatever he liked. Was he beginning really to care a little
for her at last? Her heart beat tumultuously as she went down the
stairs, laughing and talking commonplace with her companion. Could he
ever love he