Colin followed the retreat of the sprightly little figure for a moment in silence. Then with a sigh he looked at Violet, shaking his head. “It’s all wretched,” he said. “Yes, Aunt Hester’s quarrelled with me. She took it on herself to tell me I had no business to ask Pamela here. She said everyone believed I was having an affair with her, and that it was an insult to you to ask her here. Now that doesn’t happen to be true. Do you believe that, darling?” Violet looked at him with that direct limpid gaze, so like his own. “If you tell me so, of course I do,” she said. “I do tell you so,” he said. “Even if it wasn’t true, what on earth has it to do with Aunt Hester? But her talking to me like that--she called it talking like a mother--gave me the opportunity I wanted, so I told her I was tired of being ruled by aged and parasitic relatives. I said I wasn’t in a hurry for her to go, but that, if she wanted to stop a bit longer, she must apologize. So she went to pack. That’s all.” “Oh, Colin, poor old thing!” said Violet. “Me, or Aunt Hester?” he asked. “Aunt Hester. She didn’t mean to insult you.” “I suppose then she did it by accident,” said he. “If so, she ought to have said she was sorry. How about the others, by the way? Have you spoken a seasonable word to Uncle Ronald?” “Yes. He understands. He and my mother are thinking of going to-day. They would be off on Monday anyhow.” “Golly: the animals are going out three by three,” observed Colin. “You and Pamela and I will be _à trois_. A quiet peaceful Sunday. I hope it will be fine, as Aunt Hester said.” Violet turned towards the house. “I must go and see Aunt Hester,” she said. “What for? To commiserate with her for having a brutal nephew?” asked Colin. “No, Colin. To say I am sorry she is going, but that, if she can’t see her way to apologize to you, there’s nothing else to be done. I believe what you tell me, and, that being so, she has wronged you.” Colin paused. “And supposing now I told you I was in love with Pamela?” he said. Violet’s eyes wandered away from him a moment, and mused alone. “I believe that at the bottom of my heart I should rejoice that you were in love with anybody,” she said. Colin’s beautiful mouth curled with derision. “God! That’s the last word in wifely devotion,” he said. “But it’s true,” said she. * * * * * Ronald and his wife had decided not to alter their plans, but to stay till Monday, and thus Pamela’s arrival left the party numerically as they were. But her presence brought into it some sort of emotional intensity; flippant as was her speech, Violet divined a certain force behind the flippancy, below her wit there was will. Certainly she was extremely good-looking, black of eye and hair, olive in skin, a wonderful contrast to the fairness of Staniers. And flippancy and force alike, wit and will, were all shooting at one target....