She took up her book with slightly heightened colour, and began to turn
over its pages.

Bertie Richmond stared at her in silence for some moments.

"Well!" he said at last. "You have got sharper insight than any woman I
know."

"Thanks!" said Molly, with an indifferent laugh. "But you are not so
awfully great on that point yourself, are you, Bertie? I should say you
are scarcely a competent judge."

Mrs. Richmond protested on Bertie's behalf, but without effect. Molly
was slightly vexed with him for imagining that she could be so dull.


VI

The great country house was invaded by a host of guests on the following
day. Portmanteaux and gun-cases were continually in evidence. The place
was filled to overflowing.

Mrs. Langdale, who was Mrs. Richmond's greatest friend, arrived in
excellent spirits, and was delighted to find Molly Erle a fellow-guest.

"And actually," she said, "Charlie Cleveland and Captain Fisher are
going to swell the throng of sportsmen. We shall imagine ourselves back
in our old board-ship days. Charlie was talking about them and of all
the fun we had only last Saturday. Yes, I have seen him several times