Lorsque l'on dit, 'Ne m'aimez plus jamais,' On prétend bien qu'on obéira, mais On compte un peu sur des révoltes. So Maud, when she tried to keep Desvoeux at a distance, probably only made it apparent how much she liked him to be near; at any rate, the attempt at a little quarrel had only the result of making them better friends than before. Then there was a sort of familiarity about him which Maud was conscious of only half-disliking. Mrs. Vereker declared she had not breathed a word; but something in his look, when he spoke of Mrs. Fotheringham, convinced Maud that he had heard of her unlucky speech to that lady. When she rode with some one else she was sure to meet him, looking the picture of dulness. She knew that if they had been together they would be both having the greatest fun. And then how flat and what a bore her own companion seemed! One day she did actually go for a ride with General Beau. Mrs. Vereker asked him afterwards how they had got on, and the General arched his brow and said, 'Ah!' in a manner which suggested that he had not altogether liked it. Then, one day, in a pet, Maud went out alone, saying, 'No one can find fault with me for _this_.' Alas! alas! she was sauntering along in the most disconsolate manner, when, round a corner of the hill, who should come sauntering along but Desvoeux, also alone and disconsolate and in the direst need of a companion! Of course under such circumstances there was nothing to be done but for Desvoeux to turn his pony round and accompany her for the rest of the expedition; and then, no sooner had they done this, than, as bad luck would have it, they came upon all the people whom they particularly did not wish to meet--first the Fotheringhams, the mamma and two young ladies in palanquins, a nice young civilian escorting each; Fotheringham _père_ on his pony, bringing up the rear--in order, as Desvoeux said scornfully, to cut off retreat if the young men's hearts failed them. 'If that is courtship _à la mode_,' he said, 'Heaven preserve us! Fancy four parental eyes glaring at every act! My love is a sensitive plant and would shrink up at every look.' Maud, however, felt that it was no joke, and was very much provoked with Desvoeux. She was in the act of turning back to join the Fotheringhams. 'Don't, pray don't,' said Desvoeux; '_qui s'excuse s'accuse_. Why don't the two young gentlemen come and ask to be allowed to walk with us and be taken care of? If only we could _afficher_ "MET BY ACCIDENT, UPON OUR HONOUR" on our backs, and let all the world know how innocent we really are!'