a blow: and it hurt a little that Dierdre
O'Farrell should see me thus snubbed. I glanced at her; and her faint
smile told that she understood.

Soeur Julie was bewildered for a second, but recovered herself to
explain that Doctor Herter was eccentric and shy of strangers. He came
often from Luneville to Gerbeviller to tend the poor, refusing payment,
and was so good at heart that we must forgive his odd ways.

"_Spurlos versnubt!_" I heard Puck chuckling to himself; so he, too, was
in the secret of the situation. I half expected him to pretend
ingenuousness, and spring the tale of Dierdre's adventure with Herter on
the company. But he preserved a discreet reticence, more for his own
sake than mine or his sister's, of course. He's as lazy as he is impish,
except when there's some special object to gain, and probably he wished
to avoid the bother of explanations. As for Brian, his extreme
sensitiveness is better than studied tact. I'm sure he felt magnetically
that Dierdre O'Farrell shrank from a reference to her part in the night
air raid. But his silence puzzled her, and I saw her studying him--more
curiously than gratefully, I thought.

We had heard the end of Soeur Julie's story, and had no further excuse
to keep her tied to the duties of hostess. When the Becketts had left
something for the poor of the hospice, we bade the heroine of
Gerbeviller farewell, and started out to regain our automobiles, Julian
O'Farrell suddenly appearing at my side.

"Don't make an excuse that you must walk with your brother," he said.
"He's all right with Dierdre; perhaps just as happy as with you! One
_does_ want a change from the best of sisters now and then."

"Mrs. Beckett----" I began.

"Mrs. Beckett is discussing with Mr. Beckett what they can do for
Gerbeviller, and they'll ask your advice when they want it. No use
worrying. They've boodle enough for all their charities, and for the
shorn lambs, too."

"Do you call yourself a shorn lamb?" I sniffed.

"Certainly. Don't I look it? Good heavens, girl, you needn't basilisk me
so, to see if I do! You glare as if I were some kind of abnormal beast
eating with its eyes, or winking with its mouth."

"You do wink with your mouth," I said.

"You mean I lie? All romantic natures embroider truth. I have a romantic
nature. It's growing more romantic every minute since I met you. I
started this adventure for what I could get out of it. I'm going on to
the end, bitter or sweet, for