He was late on the day of Ina Rose's wedding, so late that Avery, who had dressed in good time and was lying on the sofa in her room, began to wonder if he had after all abandoned the idea of going. But she presently heard him race into his own room, and immediately there came the active patter of Victor's feet as he waited upon him. She lay still, listening, wishing that the wedding were over, morbidly dreading the heat and crush and excitement which she knew awaited her and to which she felt utterly unequal. A quarter of an hour passed, then impetuously, without preliminary, her door opened and Piers stood on the threshold. He had the light behind him, for Avery had lowered the blinds, and so seeing him she was conscious of a sudden thrill of admiration. For he stood before her like a prince. She had never seen him look more handsome, more patrician, more tragically like that woman in the picture-frame downstairs who smiled so perpetually upon them both. He came to her with his light, athletic tread, stooped, and lifted her bodily in his arms. He held her a moment before he set her on her feet, and then in his hot, fierce way he kissed her. "You beautiful ghost!" he said. She leaned against him, breathing rather hard. "I wish--I wish we needn't go," she said. "Why?" said Piers. He held her to him, gazing down at her with his eyes of fiery possession that always made her close her own. "Because--because it's so hot," she said quiveringly. "There will be no one I know there. And I--and I--" "That's just why you are going," he broke in. "Don't you know it will be your introduction to the County? You've got to find your footing, Avery. I'm not going to have my wife overlooked by anyone." "Oh, my dear," she said, with a faint laugh, "I don't care two straws about the County. They've seen me once already, most of them,--in a ditch and covered with mud. If they want to renew the acquaintance they can come and call." He kissed her again with lips that crushed her own. "We won't stay longer than we can help," he said. "You ought to go out more, you know. It isn't good for you to stay in this gloomy old vault all day. We will really get to work and make it more habitable presently. But I've got such a lot on hand just now." "I know," she said quietly. "Please don't bother about me! Lunch is waiting for us. Shall we go?" He gave her a quick, keen look, as if he suspected her of trying to elude him; but he let her go without a word. They descended to lunch, and later went forth into the blazing sunshine where the car awaited them. Avery sank back into the corner and closed her eyes. Her head was aching violently. The sense of reluctance that had possessed her for so long amounted almost to a premonition of evil. "Avery!" Her husband's voice, curt, imperious, with just a tinge of anxiety broke in upon her. "Are you feeling faint or anything?" She looked at him. He was watching her with a frown between his eyes.