The dark, sinister-looking stranger who had insulted Liane Lester on the beach had rowed back to shore as soon as Devereaux was out of sight. He was interested in Roma Clarke, as his questions to Liane had plainly shown. He came slowly, cautiously, up to the gate, his heart leaping with hope as he saw a beautiful head leaning over it that he hoped and believed must be Roma's herself. "What luck for me, and what a shock for her!" he muttered grimly, as he advanced. At the same moment Mrs. Clarke was sending Roma's maid out with a message that it was so chilly she ought to come in, or she might take cold. She would not listen to her husband's remonstrance that Roma was with her lover, and might not wish to be interrupted. "Jesse can come in, too; I am sure he would not wish Roma to get sick out in the night air with nothing on her head!" cried the anxious mother. "How you love that girl!" he cried testily, and she laughed sweetly. "Are you getting jealous of my love for our daughter, dear? You need not, for the first place in my heart is yours, but remember how devoted I have always been to Roma, ever since she was born." "I know, but has she ever seemed to show the right appreciation of your devotion?" he exclaimed abruptly. A deep and bitter sigh quivered over the wife's lips, but she parried the question with a complaint: "You are always insinuating some fault against my darling. Your heart is cold to her, Edmund." He put his arms around her, and kissed the still lovely face with the passion of a lover. "At least it is not cold to you, my darling!" he cried; and pleased at his love-making, she momentarily forgot Roma, and nestled confidingly against his breast. He was glad that she could not know his secret thoughts, for they ran stubbornly: "She is right. My heart is indeed cold to Roma. I shall be glad when Devereaux marries her and takes her away, and I do not believe it will break my wife's heart, either; for she seemed to bear it well enough when her daughter was away at boarding school those three years." Meanwhile Sophie went away most reluctantly with her message, thinking: "I am sure Miss Roma will not thank me for breaking up her tête-à-tête with her lover, for, of course, she is staying out just to keep him all to herself. But I cannot disobey Mrs. Clarke's commands, though I'll saunter along as slowly as I can, so as to give Miss Roma a little more time." Sophie was an intelligent and good-hearted girl, and might have been invaluable to Roma, if she could have appreciated such a treasure; but by her selfishness and arrogance she had completely antagonized the young woman, who only stayed, as she had frankly told Liane, for Mrs. Clarke's sake. As she strolled along, picking a flower here and there, and giving Roma all the time she could, she thought of Liane with pity and admiration.