ed between
his eyebrows. He pulled silently at his pipe. The Duchessa was watching
him.

"Alas, poor man!" thought she whimsically. "He was about to seize
opportunity, and behold, fate snatches opportunity from him. Oh, cruel
fate!"

And then she beheld his brow clearing. He knocked the ashes from his
pipe, and began feeling in his pocket for his pouch to refill it.

"He's relieved," declared the Duchessa inwardly, and somewhat astounded.
"He's so amazingly diffident, and yet so utterly in love, he's
relieved."

Of course she was right, she knew perfectly well she was right. Well,
perhaps courage would grow with Trix's absence. For his own sake it was
to be devoutly trusted that it would.

Doctor Hilary took his tobacco pouch from his pocket, and with it a small
piece of paper. He looked at the paper.

"The name of a new rose," he said. "Michael Field, the new under-gardener
at the Hall, gave it to me. He tells me it is a very free flowerer, and
has a lovely scent. Do you care to have the name, Duchessa?" He held the
slip of paper towards her.

The Duchessa looked carelessly at it. Trix was looking at the Duchessa.

"No, thank you," she replied. "We have plenty of roses here, and Thornby
can no doubt give me the name of any new kinds I shall want."

Now it was not merely an entirely unnecessary refusal, but the tone of
the speech was nearly, if not quite, deliberately rude. It was a terribly
big prickle, and showed itself perfectly distinctly. There wasn't even
the smallest semblance of disguise about it.

Doctor Hilary put the paper and his tobacco pouch back into his pocket.

"I must be off," he said in an oddly quiet voice. "I've one or two other
calls to make."

Miss Tibbutt walked towards the house with him,--to fetch some more
knitting, so she announced. Trix suspected a little mental stroking.

"What's the matter, Pia?" asked Trix calmly, leaning back in her chair.

"The matter?" said Pia, the faintest suspicion of a flush in her cheeks.

"You were very--very _snubbing_ to Doctor Hilary," announced Trix, still
calmly. Inwardly she was not so calm. In fact, her heart was thumping
quite loudly.

"My dear Trix," replied the Duchessa coldly, "I have an excellent
gardener. I do not care for recommendations emanating from a complete
stranger."

"There was no smallest need to snub Doctor Hilary, though," said Trix
quietly. The queer surprise on his face had caused a little stab at her
heart.

The