rnate, wary, alert, daring him.

But Bunny did not speak in answer. He drew in a hard breath through teeth
that gripped his lower lip, and restrained himself. The next instant he
had turned away.

"Oh, damn!" said Toby, and swung upon her heel.

Saltash and the General walked beside her, rallying her. But Bunny and
Sheila came behind in silence.

CHAPTER XII

THE ALLY

They found Maud awaiting them in the long low room that overlooked her
favourite view of the down. Saltash entered as one who had the right, and
she greeted him with momentary surprise but evident pleasure.

"I couldn't spend twenty-four hours at Burchester without calling upon
you," he said.

"You know you are always welcome," she made answer, with the smile which
only her intimate friends ever saw.

They sat down by one of the wide French windows and General Melrose began
to occupy his hostess's attention. Sheila took a chair that Bunny pushed
forward, and Saltash glanced round for Toby. She was sitting on the end
of a couch, playing with the silky ears of the old red setter. Her hat
was flung down beside her; her pretty face downcast. He crossed to her
deliberately and bent also to fondle the dog.

She started slightly at his coming, and a faint flush rose in her cheeks;
but she neither glanced at him nor spoke.

For the moment they were alone, unobserved by the laughing group at the
window. Saltash bent suddenly lower. His quick whisper came down to her:

"Go and put on the most girlish thing you've got!"

She looked up at him then, her blue eyes seeking his. A rapid flash of
understanding passed between them. Then, without a word she rose.

When Maud looked round for her a few seconds later, Saltash was lounging
alone against the sofa-head pulling Chops absently by the ear while he
stared before him out of the window in a fit of abstraction that seemed
to her unusual.

She called to him to join them at the tea-table, and he jerked himself to
his feet and came across to her with the monkeyish grin on his face that
she had learned long since to regard as the shield wherewith he masked
his soul.

He sat down by her side, devoting himself to her with the gallantry that
always characterized him when with her. No one seemed to notice that Toby
had disappeared. They talked about the horses, about Jake and his recent
victories, about the season at Fairharbour, about the Melroses' plans for
the winter.

When questioned by the Gen