and in the end persuaded her. The stranger continued
unmoved in his place; Merlier shifted not a
pound's weight, but sat with a cold, indifferent face
turned upon the straining horses.

Gordon walked ahead, whistling under his breath,
and, with a single skillful twist, he rolled a cigarette
from a muslin bag of tobacco labeled Green Goose.

The short cut into which Buckley and Lettice Hollidew
disappeared refound the road, Gordon knew,
over a mile above; and he was surprised, shortly, to
see the girl's white waist moving rapidly into the
open. She was alone, breathing in excited gasps,
which she struggled to subdue. Her face that five
minutes before had been so creamily, placidly composed
was now hotly red; her eyes shone with angry,
unshed tears.

Gordon's lips formed a silent exclamation...
Buckley evidently had made an error in judgment.
Lettice stepped out into the road, and, plainly unwilling
to encounter the questioning eyes in the stage,
walked rigidly beside Gordon. Behind the obvious
confusion, the hurt surprise of her countenance, an
unexpected, dormant quality had been stirred into
being. The crimson flood in her cheeks had stained
more than her clear skin -- it had colored her gracile
and candid girlhood so that it would never again be
pellucid; into it had been spilled some of the indelible
dye of woman.

[[26]]

p025 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p026w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p027

v?