ged her shoulders impatiently.

"What's the good of being a big, strong man like you if you can't
master one little slip of a girl?" she said.

The Beggar Man coloured.

"I've said all that to myself scores of times," he answered frankly;
"but it's not in me to bully any woman. I thought it was; I know better
now." He looked up at her deprecatingly. "You've been honest with me,"
he said, "and I'll be honest with you. My marriage is the biggest
mistake of my life, and I've made a few in my time. If--if Faith wishes
to be free of me, well----"

Peg pulled at the strings of her gaudy veil as if they were choking her.

"Oh, she's a fool--a silly little fool!" she cried bitterly. "Sometimes
I can hardly keep my hands off her when I see----" She broke off, her
passion dying away as quickly as it had arisen. "I beg your pardon," she
said bluntly.

There was an eloquent silence; then she broke out again with a most
strange humility:

"Mr. Forrester, come with us to-day. Please come with us."

Forrester knew Peg well enough to know also that there was some deep
reason for her request, and, in spite of what he had just said, his
heart contracted with a fierce pain as he thought of the rapidly-growing
friendship between his wife and Digby.

"Please," said Peg again, and impulsively she laid her hand on his
shoulder.

The Beggar Man looked down at her firm, strong fingers irresolutely.
Then suddenly he lifted his hand and covered them with a warm pressure.

"Very well, but it's only because you have asked me," he said.

He rose and began pushing the pile of papers away into a drawer, and Peg
walked out of the room, her head drooping, her face quivering.

She met Faith in the hall.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," the younger girl said. "Where
have you been? Mr. Digby's been ready to start ever so long."

"I know. I was talking to Mr. Forrester," Peg answered defiantly.

Faith glanced towards the closed study door.

"I suppose I'd better go and say good-bye to him," she said with faint
nervousness.

Peg laughed.

"You needn't trouble. He's coming, after all."

Faith's eyes widened.

"Coming with us? He said he couldn't!"

"I know. I made him change his mind."

She walked to the open front door and looked at the waiting car. Digby
was standing beside it.

"Are you ready, Miss Fraser?" he asked with a touch of impatience.

"We're waiting for Mr. Forrester," Peg said casually. "He's coming,
afte