waited a moment. Then she rose. "We will all go," she said,
with a good deal of dignity; "I could not feel easy, and I don't think
Mrs. Harold could, to have you go alone, Miss Thorne."

"I don't know what there is to be afraid of--unless you mean poor
Lucian," said Garda, laughing.

Mrs. Spenser rested her hands upon her arms with a firm pressure, the
right hand on the top of the left arm, the left hand under the right arm
as a support. In this pose (which gave her a majestic appearance) she
left the shade, and walked towards the path.

"I'm afraid you will suffer from the heat," said Garda, guilelessly. It
really was guileless--a guileless indifference; but to a large, dark,
easily flushed woman it sounded much like malice.

They had gone but a short distance when Garda's prophecy came true; the
deep red hue re-appeared, it was even darker than before. Margaret was
alarmed. "Do go back to the shade," she urged.

Mrs. Spenser, who had stopped for a moment, glanced at her strangely. "I
am perfectly well," she answered, in a husky whisper.

Margaret looked at Garda, who was standing at a little distance,
waiting. The girl, who was much amused by this scene, mutely laughed and
shook her head; evidently she would not yield.

"I will go on with Garda," Margaret said; "but I beg you not to attempt
it, Mrs. Spenser."

"Oh, if _you_ are going," murmured Rosalie, her eyes still shining
strangely from her copper-colored face.

"Yes, I am going," answered Margaret, with decision.

Rosalie said something about its being "much better," as the road was
"so lonely;" and then, turning, she made her way back to the tree.

"It's not like you, Garda, to be so wilful," said Margaret, when was out
of hearing.

"Why, yes, it is. _Your_ will is nice and beautiful, so I don't come
into conflict with it; hers isn't, so I do. _I_ don't weigh one hundred
and eighty pounds, and _I_ don't mind the heat; why, then, should I sit
under a tree forever because she has to?"

"I wish you would sit under it to oblige me."

"It isn't to oblige you, it's to oblige Mrs. Rosalie; I can't possibly
take the trouble to oblige Mrs. Rosalie. You don't really mind the sun
any more than I do, you slim fair thing! it's all pretence. Let red
people sit under trees; you and I will go on." She put her arm round
Margaret and drew her forward. "Don't be vexed with me; you know I love
you better than anything else on earth."

"Yet never wish to please me.