le as ever. Barker changed his hold on
the reins, and stuck the whip into the bucket by his side before he
answered.

"They say he has gone to get himself sworn to," he said rather slowly,
and with a good show of indifference.

"I cannot see why that was necessary," answered Margaret calmly "It
seems to me we all knew him very well."

"Oh, nobody can understand lawyers," said Barker, and was silent,
knowing how strong a position silence was, for she could know nothing
more about Claudius without committing herself to a direct question.
Barker was in a difficult position. He fully intended later to hint that
Claudius might never return at all. But he knew too much to do anything
of the kind at present, when the memory of the Doctor was fresh in the
Countess's mind, and when, as he guessed, he himself was not too high in
her favour. He therefore told a bit of the plain truth which could not
be cast in his teeth afterwards, and was silent.

It was a good move, and Margaret was fain to take to some other subject
of conversation, lest the pause should seem long. They had not gone far
before the society kaleidoscope was once more in motion, and Barker was
talking his best. They rolled along, passing most things on the road,
and when they came to a bit of hill, he walked his horses, on pretence
of keeping them cool, but in reality to lengthen the drive and increase
his advantage, if only by a minute and a hairbreadth. He could see he
was amusing her, as he drew her away from the thing that made her heavy,
and sketched, and crayoned, and photographed from memory all manner of
harmless gossip--he took care that it should be harmless--and such
book-talk as he could command, with such a general sprinkling of
sentimentalism, ready made and easy to handle, as American young men
affect in talking to women.

Making allowance for the customs of the country, they were passing a
very innocently diverting afternoon; and Margaret, though secretly
annoyed at finding that Barker would not talk about Claudius, or add in
any way to her information, was nevertheless congratulating herself upon
the smooth termination of the interview. She had indeed only accepted
the invitation in the hope of learning something more about Claudius and
his "other reason." But she also recognised that, though Barker were
unwilling to speak of the Doctor, he might have made himself very
disagreeable by taking advantage of the confession of interest she had
vo