“I tried, of course, to laugh it off, but to my surprise I saw Ruth growing very red and her mouth quivering, so I told the gipsy we had heard enough and that we had no more time to spare. Ruth rose, the pleasure all died away from her face. Then, to add to the misfortunes of the evening, I heard a scream and an outburst of laughter from a neighbouring caravan, and, looking round, I saw Rawdon Westmacott jump to the ground in pursuit of a young gipsy woman, whom he caught in his arms and kissed. “I looked hastily at Ruth; she had seen the thing happen. The distress which had troubled her face gave way to anger; the name ‘Rawdon!’ slipped in involuntary indignation from her lips. Then an instinct asserted itself to pretend that she had seen nothing, and to get out of the place before her cousin had discovered her. But she conquered the instinct, staring at Westmacott till he turned as though compelled in her direction. “Not a word did they speak to one another then, but in the silence her anger and contempt flashed across at him like a heliograph, and his vexation flashed back at her. She stood there staring at him deliberately, staring him out of countenance. God! how vexed and furious he was! It makes me laugh now to remember it. I never knew what a fool a man could look when he was caught red-handed. The gipsy only giggled vulgarly, and tried to rearrange her tumbled dress. Ruth never even glanced at her, and presently she removed her gaze from Westmacott—it seemed quite a long time, though I suppose it was not really more than a few seconds—and turned to me. “‘Shall we go?’ she said. “‘We went, Ruth haughty, and I at a loss for words. Decidedly the expedition had not been a success. The sheep-dog ran on in front and tactfully barked, and in throwing little stones at him relations were re-established between us. I was prepared not to allude to the incident, but Ruth was bolder; she grappled directly with the difficulty. “‘You saw Rawdon?’ she said with suppressed violence. “‘I.... Well, yes, I saw him.’ “‘What was he doing there? He was up to no good with those gipsy women.’ “I had nothing to say; I knew she was right. “‘He’s always after women,’ she added violently. “‘I knew that she would not have said this to me had she not been completely startled out of her self-control. “‘He cares for you though, in his heart,’ I said, rather inanely. “‘Does he!’ she exclaimed. ‘It doesn’t look like it.’ “‘Well,’ I said, ‘he rides the cart-horses bareback with his face to their tails to please you.’ “‘Oh, you may joke,’ she said; ‘he wants to please me now, but where’d I be if I belonged to him? He’d sing a very different song.’ “‘It rests with you, after all,’ I ventured. “She was silent, swishing at the hedges with her stick as she passed. “‘Doesn’t it?’ I urged. “‘Oh—I suppose so.’