eyes to the gallery, and saw the faint outline of his son's brown head
against the whitewash.




CHAPTER II

A FORETASTE OF PEACE


It was not until the party was riding home the next day that Sir
Nicholas Maxwell and his wife were informed of Chris' decision.

* * * * *

They had had a fair day's sport in the two estates that marched with one
another between Overfield and Great Keynes, and about fifteen stags had
been killed as well as a quantity of smaller game.

Ralph had ridden out after the party had left, and had found Sir
Nicholas at the close of the afternoon just as the last drive was about
to take place; and had stepped into his shelter to watch the finish. It
was a still, hot afternoon, and the air over the open space between the
copse in which they stood and the dense forest eighty yards away danced
in the heat.

Ralph nodded to his brother-in-law, who was flushed and sunburnt, and
then stood behind, running his eyes up and down that sturdy figure with
the tightly-gaitered legs set well apart and the little feathered cap