y. 'It is a fete-day, Gladys,' I said cheerfully, 'and we must
be as gay as possible.' And she agreed to this.

At the appointed time we heard the horses coming round from the stables,
and Mr. Hamilton came upstairs himself to fetch his sister. Chatty had
told me privately that Miss Darrell had been very cross all day. She had
wanted the carriage for herself that afternoon, and had spoken quite
angrily to Mr. Hamilton about it; but he had told her rather coldly that
she must give up her wishes for once. Thornton heard master say that he
was surprised at her selfishness: he had thought she would be glad that
Miss Gladys should have a drive. 'Miss Darrell looked as black as
possible, Thornton said, ma'am,' continued Chatty; 'but she did not dare
argue with master; he always has the best of it with her.'

As we drove off, I saw Miss Darrell watching us from the study window:
evidently her bad temper had not evaporated, for she had not taken the
trouble to come out in the hall to speak to Gladys, and yet they had not
met for a month. Gladys did not see her: she was smiling at her brother,
who was waving a good-bye from the open door. My heart smote me a little
as I looked at him. Would he think me very deceitful, I wondered, for
giving Max that clue? but after a moment I abandoned these thoughts and
gave myself up to the afternoon's enjoyment.

The air was delicious, the summer heat tempered by cool breezes that
seemed to come straight from the sea. Gladys lay back luxuriously among
the cushions, watching the flicker of green leaves over our heads, or the
soft shadows that lurked in the distant meadows, or admiring the
picturesque groups of cattle under some wide-spreading tree.

We had nearly reached Pemberley, the white roofs of the cottages were
gleaming through a belt of firs, when I at last caught sight of Max. He
was half hidden by some blackberry-bushes. I think he was sitting on a
stile resting himself; but when he heard the carriage-wheels he came
slowly towards us and put up his hand as a sign that Atkinson should pull
up.

I shall never forget the sudden illumination that lit up Gladys's face
when she saw him: a lovely colour tinged her cheeks as their eyes met,
and she put out her little gray-gloved hand to touch his. I opened the
carriage door and slipped down into the road.

'The horses can stand in the shade a little while, Atkinson,' I said
carelessly: 'I want to get some of those poppies, if the stile