The Splendid Folly

in the least that sensation of exhilaration with which the idea of getting up invariably seems to inspire the heroine of a novel,

me exercised a deterrent influence and she made her way with all haste to the bath-room, somewhat shamefully pleased to reflect that, being Easter Su

ful spirit, and the sun, streaming in through the diamond panes of her window, added a last vivify

hort cut, known as the "church path" wound its way through the copse that hedged the garden. It was an ancient little church, boasting a very beautiful thirteenth century window, which, in a Philistine past, had been built up and rough-cast outside, and had only been discovered in the course of some repairs that w

gleaming golden in all the pride of recent thatching, others with their crown of straw mellowed

aces huddling together as though for company, in others standing far apart, with spaces of waste land between

ll she loved the glimpse of the sea that lay beyond them, pierced by the bold headland of red sandstone, Culver Point, which thrust itself

e Rector and Joan appeared, Stair with the dreaming, far-away exp

m and slipped her arm

obs, dear," she coaxed

one when he descen

ed slowly out

etorted a little sadly, "That's

hook he

ectionately. "But there's only a very small s

le chin, at the sensitive, eager mouth, unconsciously sensuous in the lovely curve of its short upper-lip, at t

last, smiling a little. "But I'm thinking yours may need

ggled her

the least want to be chiselled into shape

're exactly carrying out my metaphor to i

m going to church this morning, and if he lectures me lik

ever had-much," rep

-room. "I'm feeling particularly cheerful just this moment. I have a presentiment that something very delight

know that whenever I have felt a comfortable assurance that everything was going smoothly, it has generally been fol

rgled un

existence," she replied. "I was meaning"

retorted Joan, "you'll find those commonplaces

The Rectory pew was situated close to the pulpit, at right angles to the body of the church, and Diana and Joan took their places

gain to admit some late arrivals. Instinctively Diana looked up from her prayer-book, and, as her glance fell upon the newcomers, the pup

was upon neither of these that Diana's startled eyes were fixed. Behind them, and evidently of their party, came a

ller of that memorable

ck that blocked the metals, feel the swift pall of darkness close about her, rife with a thousand terrors, and then, out

. . . My God,

y following the service. Apparently he had not seen her, and Diana shrank a little closer into the

r his glance never once strayed in her direction, and, gradually gaining courage as she appreciated this, Dian

r lightly powdered with grey. She was very fashionably dressed, and the careful detail of her toilet pointed to no lack of means. The younger woman, too, was exquisitely turned out, but there was something so individual about her per

essed, and her eyes were blue-not the keen, brilliant blue of those of the m

little touch of hauteur-an air of aloofness, as it were. There was nothing ungracious

d never seen her before. She wondered whether she were any relation to the man with her, but there was no particular resemblance between the two,

passed through some fiery discipline of experience and had forced himself to meet its demands. The lines around the mouth, and the f

g their journey together suddenly recurred to her with a new significance attached to them. . . . "Just as though we had a

as she studied the rather stern set of his features, they returned to her with fresh meaning and she f

f the service came upon her in the light of a surprise; she had not realised that the service-in which she had been taking a

believe you'r

sle and out into the churchyard where people were standing about in little groups, exchanging the time

er works-there were six of the latter, ranging from a lanky girl of twelve to a fat baby still in the perambulator stage-made her way out of the churchyard and st

its open door, rug in hand. Diana wondered idly whose car it could be, and it occurred to h

e young, pretty one, came quickly through the lichgate and entered the car. The foot

aker. Mr. Erringto

caught sight of her in church, after all, and it was but natural that, after the experience they had passed through together, he should wish to renew his acquaintance with her. When two

nscious of a somewhat pleasurable sense of anticipation, and when he had passed under the lichgat

, pausing only for the fraction of a second as a man may when some stranger claims his acqua

nionably together in the train, dined at the same table, and together shared the same dreadful menace which had brought death very close to both

he had not so chosen-most assuredly he had not. He had quietly, with a charmingly persuasive insistence, broken through the conventions of custom, and had subsequently proved himself as considerate and as thoughtful for her comfort a

t as composedly as he had begun th

as some one with whom it might he agreeable to idle away the tedium of a journey-but that

Fortunately, they were both in ignorance of this amazing, stupefying fact that her fellow-traveller-the "gallant rescuer" about whom Pobs had so joyously chaffed her-had signified in the most unmistakable fashion that he wanted not

aken Red Gables-that pretty little place on the Woodway Road. The girl is Adrie

breaking in upon her. "I mean Miss de Gervais'-not the chaperon's. Of cour

he plays in which she takes part," chimed in Joan. "He's supposed to be

ciousness. "She's the sort of person who has nothin

hers l

r. "But, you know, a country doctor's wife is usually the

disappoint any one. She fully comes up

ve to call on these ne

oan, after a

She would not call upon them-a thousand times no! Max Errington had shown her very distinctly in what estimation he

es now and then-when Miss de Gervais wants a rest from her professional work, I expect. But still, as they hav

d Diana, "A sort of 'rectorial' visit, y

tor hes

hink it would look rather unfriendly on t

o small satisfaction. She wanted to hit back-and hit hard-and now Pobs' kindly, h

houlders with an a

resses, and authors who love them and write plays f

, had been founded upon the rock of experience, for, in truth, Diana's premonition that