Red Money

and the pale August sunshine radiated faintly through the smoky atmosphere. Nothing was clear-cut and nothing was distinct, so hazy was the outlook. The hedges were losing the

ither side of the lane down which the lady was walking, presented a stubbled expanse of brown and dim gold, uneven and distressful to the eye. The dying world was i

, she bent her head in a meditative fashion and trudged briskly onward. What romance her hard nature was capable of, was uppermost now, but it had to do strictly with her personal feelings and did not require the picturesque autumn landscape to improve or help it in any way. One man's name suggested romance to bluff, breezy Clara Greeby,

erstand and which women can't explain, however much they may exhibit it. Miss Greeby was an excellent comrade, but could not be the beloved of any man, because of the very limitations of semi-masculinity upon which she prided herself. Noel Lambert wanted a womanly woman, and Lady Agnes was his ideal of what a wife should be. Miss Greeby had in every possible way offered herself for the post, but Lambert had never cared for her sufficiently to endure the thought of passing through life with her beside him.

Lambert would never degrade her into a divorce court appearance. And perhaps, after all, as Miss Greeby thought hopefully, his love for Sir Hubert's wife might have turned to scorn that she had preferred money to true love. But then, again, as Miss Greeby remembered, with a darkening face, Agnes had married the millionaire so as to save the family estates from being sold. Rank has its obligation, and Lambert might app

of the monastic wood by winning it at a game of cards from the nobleman who had then owned it. Now it was simply a large patch of green in the middle of a somewhat naked county, for Hengishire is not remarkable for woodlands. There were rabbits and birds, badgers, stoats, and such-like wild things in it still, but the deer which the abbots had hunted were conspicuous by their absence. Garvington looked after it about as much as he did after the rest of his estates, which was not saying much. The fat, round little lord's heart was always in the kitchen, and he preferred eating to fulfilling his duties as

and archaeologists came from far and near to view the weird relics. And in the middle of the circle stood the cottage: a thatched dwelling, which might have had to do with a fairy tale, with its whitewashed walls covered with ivy, and its latticed windows, on the ledges of which stood pots of homely flowers. There was no fence round this rustic dwelling, as the monoliths stood as guardians, and the space between the cottage walls and the gigantic stones was planted thickly with fragrant English flowers. Snapdragon, sweet-william, marigolds, and

l-built, slim young man made his appearance on the threshold. He held a palette on the thumb of one hand, and clutched a sheaf of brushes, while another brush was in his mouth, and luckily impeded a rather rough welcome. The look in a pair of keen blue eyes certainly seemed to resent the intrusion, but at the sight of Miss Greeby this irritability changed to a glance of suspicion. Lambert, from old associations, liked his visitor very well on the whole, but that feminine int

remark. "As the mountain would not come to M

. Then adopting the bluff and breezy, rough-and-ready-man-to-man attitude, which Miss Greeby lik

e, she was not entirely pleased with this unromanti

ng Lambert into his studio, "I think we are

ood sort, Clara. How well you are

!" said Miss G

you always liked to be thought manly, and said

ed the visitor, dropping into a chair and l

y have influenced you to pay me a visit in t

ou doing in

was the la

Still-lif

nted toward the easel

hair streamed straightly down to the shoulders-for the bust of the model was slightly indicated-and there, bunched out into curls. A red and yellow handkerchief was knotted round the brows, and dangling sequins added to its barbaric appearance. Nose and lips and eyes, and contours, we

y furnished; a couch, two deep arm-chairs, and a small table filled its limited area. The walls and roof were painted a pale green, and a carpet of the same delicate hue covered the floor. Of course, there were the usual painting materials,

nder in that direction. "I had that glass put in when I came here a month ago. No light can

ss Greeby restlessly, for she had no

very handsome head it was, as Miss Greeby thought. "It bothered me until

good enoug

ve I been a sy

ht to think of

oined Lambert, throwing himself on the co

'll join you. Thanks!" She deftly caught the

e I have been brought up to neither trade no

to a title and to

title"-Lambert shrugged his shoulders

arried ten years and more. You are

s of nothing," said

cigarette, which was Turkish and soothing, "nothing may

ng to clear

ubert

his pipe so as to avoid meeting her hard, inquisitive eyes. "Pine is a man of business, and if he pays off the mortg

ly allowed his sister to marry Sir Hubert because he was rich. I don't know for certain, of course, but I shou

t old friend as you are, Clara, I don't see the necessity of talki

concern

"And how utterly wrong. Agnes does not concern me in the least. I lov

," observed Miss Greeby shrewdly, "yo

leave the army because I was so poor. Garvington has given me this cottage rent free, so I'm jolly enough with my

her red head. "You

?" demanded the man,

r to camp here instead of admitting that you

f the question. She is Pine's wife, so that settl

or the moon," interpol

a question," replied Lambert in a quiet an

l face smiling on the easel. "I adv

come here to giv

on't take,"

it isn'

an and a wom

bserved, if you are acquainted with the w

inted to the picture

have painted

ginal of that por

know so much, you may as well come to the gypsy encampment on the verge of the wood and satisfy yourself." He

g to her feet. "You take me at the foot of the letter and too se

jolly as a sandboy.

l in love with the ori

for six months. I met her in a gypsy caravan when on a walking tour, and offered to paint

with alacrity. "Come along, old boy." Then, when they stepped out of the

ald

t is the name

r name. Down Mesopotamia way, I believe. These gypsies wander far and wide, you know. She's

is

ed, black-faced, hairy ape of a dwarf, but highly popular on account of

Miss Greeby asked i

y that its possessor was anything but effeminate, when he had such a heavy jaw, such a firm chin, and such set lips. Lambert, indeed, at first sight did indeed look so amiable, as to appear for the moment quite weak; but danger always stiffened him into a dangerous adversary, and his face when aroused was most unpleasantly fierce. He walked with a military swing, his shoulders well set back and his head crested like that of a stri

aldea, and of her possible love for Lambert, and exclaimed impuls

rather surprised by the change of the

fe of just-enough-to-live-on doesn't give you a chance to play

n, and his eyes sparkled.

and Omphale!" inter

do you

meant very well. His quick flush showed her how he resented this cla

ert, wilfully misunde

off at night. Garvington says he will shoo

ngton had anything

I think you know ver

er interference with his affairs seemed to be quite unjustifiable. "

ove, you me

friends. But I warn you that I do possess a temper, and if you wish to see it, you are going the best

slight figure of the gypsy girl was seen advanc

dancing toward the a

was enough to reveal the truth. If Lambert did not love his beautifu

este!" said Chaldea, and