o about--longing,
longing, and all shut up, day after day, year after year--all shut up.
And now there's this--she's come back like this--"

He came upon the picture of himself alone with Nona--alone with her
watching her beautiful face--and saying to her, "Look here, there were
three things you said, three expressions you used. Explain them, Nona.
Explain 'There!' with your glove off. Explain 'Flotsam.' Explain 'Well,
I had to come.' Explain them, Nona--for God's sake."

CHAPTER V

I

But it was October before he asked her to explain them. The Tybars, as
he learnt when next he met her, a week after her visit to the office,
were only at Northrepps for a breathing space after their foreign tour.
Through the summer they were going the usual social round, ending in
Scotland. Back in October for the shooting, and wintering there through
the hunting season.

So she told him; and he thought while she was speaking, "All right. I'll
accept that. That helps to stop me asking her. If an opportunity occurs
before she goes I'll ask her. I must. But if it doesn't occur I'll
accept that. I won't make an opportunity."

It did not occur, and he abode by his resolution. He met her once or
twice, always in other company. And she was always then particularly
gay, particularly airy, particularly bantering. But answering her banter
he once caught an expression behind her airiness. He thought, "It is a
shield"; and he turned away abruptly from her. He could not bear it.

This was on the occasion of a little dinner party at Northrepps to which
he had come with Mabel; Major Hopscotch Millet and one or two others
were among the guests. Major Millet, who had been in particularly
hopscotch, Ri--te _O_! form throughout the evening, was walking back,
but Mabel invited him to accompany them in the ancient village fly.
"Ri--te _O_!" said Major Millet with enormous enthusiasm.

Nona came with them to the door on their departure. Sabre was last down
the steps. "Well, I shan't see you again till October," she said.

"No, till October." He no more than touched her hand and turned away. He
had kept his resolution.

She was close behind him. He heard her give the tiniest little catch at
her breath. She said, "Shall I write to you, Marko?"

He turned towards her. She was smiling as though it was a chaffing
remark she had made. Her shield!

And he answered her from behind his own shield, "Oh, well, I'm bad at
letters, you know."

But t