nted, or shall ever paint."

For an instant Sylvia forgot her personal troubles in sheer
wonderment, and a ghost of a smile brightened her white cheeks. John
Trenholme was a person who inspired confidence at sight, and her first
definite emotion was one of surprise that he should look so
disconsolate.

"I really don't understand," she said. "The quality of your picture
has no special interest for me. What I fail to grasp is your motive in
trespassing in a private park and watching me, or any lady, bathing."

"Put that way, my conduct needs correcting with a horsewhip; but
happily there are other points of view. That is--I mean----Really,
Miss Manning, I am absurdly tongue-tied, but I do beg of you to hear
my explanation."

"Have you one?"

"Yes. It might convince any one but you. You will be a severe judge,
and I hardly know how to find words to seek your forgiveness, but I--I
was the victim of circumstances."

"Please don't regard me as a judge. At present, I am trying to guess
what happened."

Then John squared his shoulders and tackled the greatest difficulty he
had grappled with for years.

"The simple truth should at least sound convincing," he said. "I came
to Roxton three days ago on a commission to sketch the village and
its environment. This house and grounds are historical, and I applied
for permission to visit them, but was refused. By chance, I heard of a
public footpath which crosses the park close to the lake----"

Sylvia nodded. She, too, had heard much of that footpath. Its
existence had annoyed Mortimer Fenley as long as she could remember
anything. That friendly little nod encouraged Trenholme. His voice
came under better control, and he contrived to smile.

"I was told it was a bone of contention," he said, "but that didn't
trouble me a bit, since the right of way opened the forbidden area. I
meant no disturbance or intrusion. I rose early this morning, and
would have made my sketches and got away without seeing you if it were
not for a delightful pair of wrought iron gates passed _en route_.
They detained me three quarters of an hour. Instead of reaching the
clump of cedars at a quarter to seven or thereabouts, I arrived at
half past seven.

"I sketched the house and lawns and then turned to the lake. When you
appeared I imagined at first you were coming to pitch into me for
entering your domain. But, as I was partly hidden by some briers
beneath the cedars, you never saw me, and, befo