had made up her mind after ten minutes'
talk with him--was a vain gossip. It had been madness on Rachel's part to
give him the smallest hold on her. Very likely he had not yet actually
betrayed her--his hope of favours to come might have been sufficient to
prevent that. But his self-importance would certainly show itself
somehow--in a hint or a laugh. He had probably already roused in the
village mind a prying curiosity, a suspicion of something underhand,
which might alter Rachel's whole relation to her neighbours. For once
give an English country-side reason to suspect a scandal, and it will
pluck it bare in time, with a slow and secret persistence.

Well, after all, if the situation became disagreeable, Rachel would only
have to choose Ellesborough's country as her own, and begin her new life
there.

_Supposing that all went well!_ Janet's mind went through some painful
alterations of confidence and fear, as she walked her bicycle along the
rough forest-track leading to Ellesborough's hut. She believed him to be
deeply in love with Rachel, and the spiritual passion in her seemed to
realize in the man's inmost nature, behind all his practical ability,
and his short business manner, powers of pity and tenderness like her
own. But if she were wrong? If this second revelation put too great a
strain upon one brought up in an exceptionally strict school where
certain standards of conduct were simply taken for granted?

Mystic, and puritan as she was, there were moments when Janet felt
her responsibility almost unbearable. Rachel deserted--Rachel in
despair--Rachel turning on the woman who had advised her to her
undoing--all these images were beating on Janet's tremulous sense, as the
small military hut where Ellesborough and two of his junior officers
lived came into view, together with that wide hollow of the forestry camp
where he and Rachel had first met. The letter in her pocket seemed a
living and sinister thing. She had still power to retain it--to keep it
imprisoned.

A lady in the dress of the Women's Forestry Corps appeared on another
path leading to Ellesborough's hut. Janet recognized Mrs. Fergusson,
and was soon greeted by a shout of welcome.

"Well, so Miss Henderson's engaged to our Captain!" said Mrs. Fergusson,
with a smiling countenance, as they shook hands. "The girls here, and
I, are awfully interested. The camp began it! But do you want the
Captain? I'm afraid he isn't here."

Janet's countenance