"Well?" She faced him now.

"Do you want me to understand that you really wish Peg to go?" he asked
deliberately.

It was the first time since Peg had lived with them that she had ever
heard him speak of her friend by her Christian name, and Faith winced as
if he had hurt her, but she answered clearly.

"Yes."

"Why?" His critical eyes searched her face.

She flushed and stammered.

"Why? Oh, well ... you see...."

He made an impatient gesture.

"If you have no real reason it's absurd to expect me to ask her to leave
the house. If there is a reason...." He paused. "Faith, tell me the
reason."

But she would not. How could she tell him that it was jealousy that was
driving her? She would rather have died than admit to him that it hurt
her intolerably to know that little by little Peg was taking the place
she herself had once held in his heart.

She raised her dainty head with dignity.

"There is no reason," she said proudly. "Let her stay."

He went back to his papers.

"Very well. Then there is nothing more to be said."

Faith left him without another word. She was blind with passion as she
went up to her room. She would never have believed it possible for
jealousy to get such a grip of her emotions. She had believed that she
hated Forrester, and it crushed her to the earth with shame to realize
that now he no longer wanted her she loved him with all her heart and
soul.

Later, down in the drawing-room, she slipped a note into Digby's hand as
they went in to dinner.

He had no chance to read it then, but later when the two girls had left
him to smoke with Forrester he found a moment.

There were only two hurriedly scribbled lines.

"I said no this afternoon when you asked me to come away with you.
I have changed my mind; if you still want me I will come.--FAITH."

Peter Digby crushed the little note in his hand and looked guiltily
across at his friend. But Forrester had noticed nothing; he seemed
absorbed in his own thoughts, and Digby rose to his feet with a little
sigh of relief.

"Well, shall we join the ladies?" he asked.

Forrester raised his eyes.

"By all means, you go. I must go out again." He looked at his watch.

"Go out?" Digby echoed. "My dear chap, at this time of night?"

But he was unutterably relieved. Forrester's absence would make things
so much more simple.

"Yes, I must go down to Heeler's again. I'm afraid there's going to be
serious trouble there.