Shrinking from the clamouring tumult of his thoughts he looked around,
hard-eyed and drawn of mouth, to find Miss Erroll riding a length in
advance, her gaze fixed resolutely between her horse's ears.
How much had she noticed? How much had she divined?--this straight,
white-throated young girl, with her self-possession and her rounded,
firm young figure, this child with the pure, curved cheek, the clear,
fearless eyes, untainted, ignorant, incredulous of shame, of evil.
Severe, confident, untroubled in the freshness of adolescence, she rode
on, straight before her, symbolic innocence leading the disillusioned.
And he followed, hard, dry eyes narrowing, ever narrowing and flinching
under the smiling gaze of the dark-eyed, red-mouthed ghost that sat
there on his saddle bow, facing him, almost in his very arms.
* * * * *
Luncheon had not been served when they returned. Without lingering on
the landing as usual, they exchanged a formal word or two, then Eileen
mounted to her own quarters and Selwyn walked nervously through the
library, where he saw Nina evidently prepared for some mid-day
festivity, for she wore hat and furs, and the brougham was outside.
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