Norah looked at him with a smile. “Well, it is pretty clever of her, isn’t it?” she said. “I didn’t think she’d got along as quickly as that!” Norah’s voice was full of an honest and undisguised admiration. “It’s a little unreasonable of her to cry under the circumstances. I’m not crying, Lady Norah.” “I expect you’re rather disgusted, though, aren’t you?” she suggested. “I’m a little vexed at having to surrender--for the moment--a principle which I’ve held dear--at having to give my enemies an occasion for mockery. But I must bow to my friends’ wishes. I can’t lose them under such painful circumstances. No, I must yield, Lady Norah.” “You’re going to give up the path?” she cried, not sure whether she were pleased or not with his determination. “Dear me, no! I’m going to law about it.” Open dismay was betrayed in her exclamation: “Oh, but what will Mr Stillford say to that?” Lynborough laughed. Norah saw her mistake--but she made no attempt to remedy it. She took up another line of tactics. “It would all come right if only you knew one another! She’s the most wonderful woman in the world, Lord Lynborough. And you----” “Well, what of me?” he asked in deceitful gravity. Norah parried, with a hasty little laugh; “Just ask Miss Gilletson that!” Lynborough smiled for a moment, then took a turn along the terrace, and came back to her. “You must tell her that you’ve seen me----” “I couldn’t do that!” “You must--or here the matter ends, and I shall be forced to go to law--ugh! Tell her you’ve seen me, and that I’m open to reason----” “Lord Lynborough! How can I tell her that?” “That I’m open to reason, and that I propose an armistice. Not peace--not yet, anyhow--but an armistice. I undertake not to exercise my right over Beach Path for a week from to-day, and before the end of that week I will submit a proposal to the Marchesa.” Norah saw a gleam of hope. “Very well. I don’t know what she’ll say to me, but I’ll tell her that. Thank you. You’ll make it a--a pleasant proposal?” “I haven’t had time to consider the proposal yet. She must inform me to-morrow morning whether she accepts the armistice.” He suddenly turned to the house, and shouted up to a window above his head, “Roger!” The window was open. Roger Wilbraham put his head out. “Come down,” said Lynborough. “Here’s somebody wants to see you.” “I never said I did, Lord Lynborough.” “Let him take you home. He wants cheering up.” “I like him very much. He won’t really leave you, will he?” “I want you to persuade him to stay during the armistice. I’m too proud to ask him for myself. I shall think very little of you, however, if he doesn’t.” Roger appeared. Lynborough told him that Lady Norah required an escort back to Nab Grange; for obvious reasons he himself was obliged to relinquish the pleasure; Roger, he felt sure, would be charmed to take his place. Roger was somewhat puzzled by the turn of events, but delighted with his mission.