erkin again
with a smile and a sigh.

"Truly," he thought, "for a man who has but three days to live, I
cannot be said to be wasting much idle time." With that he took up
again the book he had laid down and was soon deep in its study.

XXI

A PUZZLING PURITAN

So deep was Evander in his book that he did not hear a lady's
footfalls on the grass. When the discomfited Sir Blaise had quitted
the arena Brilliana held herself unseen and then swiftly sped back to
the pleasaunce. She stood for some seconds on the threshold of a yew
arch watching the reading man and wondering why it had pleased
Providence to make a Puritan so personable and skilful, wondering why
she of all women should take any interest either in his person or in
his skill, wondering how long he would remain buried in his tiresome
book unconscious of her presence. She decided that she would slip
away and leave him ignorant of her coming, and having decided that,
she coughed loudly, at which sound, of course, he turned round, saw
her, and rose respectfully to his feet.

"I fear I trespass in your paradise," he said, wistfully.

"My honor, no!" Brilliana cried, pretending to look about her
anxiously. "But where is Sir Blaise? I hope you two did not quarrel."

"No, no," Evander protested; "we parted on clasped hands. Some
pressing matter called him to his quarters."

"Did you pay him apology for your equivocal wit?" Brilliana asked,
demurely.

Evander answered gravely: "He professed himself satisfied."

Brilliana feigned a cry of horror.

"I trust you did not eat your words."

Evander shook his head.

"I am not so hungry. Have I your leave to go?"

He made as if to depart; Brilliana met his motion with a little
frown.

"Are you so eager?" she asked, in a voice in which regret and
petulance were dexterously commingled.

Evander answered her gravely. "Yesterday you said that a Puritan
presence was hateful."

Brilliana laughed blithely and her curls quivered in the sunshine.

"You must not harp on a mad maid's anger. Yesterday you were my
enemy, a thing of threats and treason. To-day all's different; to-day
you are my guest. Soon you will ride hence, and we will, if
Providence please, never meet again. But for a span of hours let us
make believe to be friend and friend, till Colonel Cromwell send my
cousin and your liberty."

Evander was tempted to quarrel with himself for being so ready to
welcome this overture. But yesterday this