t."

"But it's good for you." He stood in front of her, glass in hand.
"Come, Nan, don't be foolish. You need something before we start.
Drink it up."

He held it to her lips, and Nan, too proud to struggle or resist like a
child, swallowed the obnoxious stuff. As Trenby drove her home she had
time to reflect upon the fact that if she married him there would be
many a contest of wills between them. He roused a sense of rebellion
in her, and he was unmistakably a man who meant to be obeyed.

Her thoughts went back to Peter Mallory. Somehow she did not think she
would ever have found it difficult to obey _him_.

CHAPTER X

INDECISION

Kitty and her husband were strolling together on the terrace when
Trenby's car purred up the drive to Mallow.

"You're back very early!" exclaimed Kitty gaily. "Did you get bored
stiff with each other, or what?" Then, as Roger opened the car door
and she caught sight of Nan's leg stretched out in front of her under
the rugs and evidently resting upon something, she asked with a note of
fear in her voice: "Is Nan hurt? You've not had an accident?"

Roger hastily explained what had occurred, winding up:

"She's had a wonderful escape."

He was looking rather drawn about the month, as though he, too, had
passed through a big strain of some kind.

"I'm as right as rain really," called out Nan reassuringly. "If
someone will only unpack the collection of rugs and coats I'm bundled
up with, I can hop out of the car as well as anybody."

Barry was already at the car side and as he lifted off the last
covering, revealing beneath a distended silk stocking the bandaged
ankle, he exclaimed quickly:

"Hullo! This looks like some sort of damage. Is your ankle badly
hurt, old thing?"

"Not a bit--nothing but a few scratches," she answered. "Only Mrs.
Denman insisted on my driving back with my leg up, and it would have
broken her heart if I hadn't accepted her ''assock' for the journey."

She stepped rather stiffly out of the car, for her joints still ached,
and Barry, seeing her white face and the heavy shadows beneath her
eyes, put a strong, friendly arm round her shoulders to steady her.

"You've had a good shaking up, my dear, anyway," he observed with
concern in his voice. "Look, I'm going to help you into the hall and
put you on the big divan straight away. Then we'll discuss what's to
be done with you," he added, smiling down at her.

"You won't let them keep