elding
bars of conventional wedlock.

The fact of Peter's own marriage seemed to her rather dream-like.
There lay the danger. They had never met until after his wife had left
him, so that her impression of him as a married man was necessarily a
somewhat vague and shadowy one.

But there would be nothing vague or shadowy about marriage with Trenby!
That Nan realised. And, utterly weary of the persistent struggle in
her heart, she felt that it might cut the whole tangle of her life once
and for all if she passed through the strait and narrow gate of
matrimony into the carefully shepherded fold beyond it. After all,
most women settled down to it in course of time, whether their husbands
came up to standard or not. If they didn't, the majority of wives
contrived to put up with the disappointment, and probably she herself
would be so fully occupied with the putting up part of the business
that she would not have much time in which to remember Peter.

But perhaps, had she known the inner thoughts of those women who have
been driven into the "putting up" attitude towards their husbands, she
would have realised that memories do not die so easily.

CHAPTER XI

GOING WITH THE TIDE

As Nan, who had reluctantly complied with Kitty's stern decree that she
must rest in bed during the greater part of the following day, at last
descended from her room, she discovered, much to her satisfaction, that
her ankle had ceased to pain her. But she still felt somewhat stiff
and sore after the knocking about of the previous day.

At dinner she was astonished to find that the house-party had decreased
by one. Ralph Fenton was absent.

"He left for town this morning, by the early train from St. Wennys
Halt," explained Kitty. "He was--was called away very suddenly," she
added blandly, in answer to Nan's surprised enquiries.

A somewhat awkward pause ensued, then everybody rushed into
conversation at once, so that Nan could only guess that some
contretemps must have occurred between Penelope and the singer of which
she was in ignorance. As soon as dinner was at an end she manoeuvred
Kitty into a corner and demanded an explanation.

"Why has Ralph gone away?" she asked. "And why did you look so
uncomfortable when I asked about him? And why did Penelope blush?"

"Could I have them one at a time?" suggested Kitty mildly.

"You can have them combined into one. Tell me, what's been happening
to-day?"

"Well, I gather tha