"Alas! I am for Annapolis in the morning," he said, bending down over her--"and shall be kept there for at least a week." "Why go?" she whispered. "I have no alternative: the Governor's summons, I must obey." "Always the way--duty first." "You would not have me shirk duty?" he asked. She saw it was a false step, and beat a quick retreat. "You know I would not," she said. "Did you forget, I, too, come of those who serve the King." She was very alluring, in her gown of brocaded lustring, ruby-colored, with white tobine stripes, trimmed with floss, the high-piled hair, the fair face, the dark, expressive eyes, the bowed mouth, the slender neck. And he was not dead to beauty, so near and so yielding. He loosed, suddenly, the little hand, and wound his arm about her waist. "Oh, monsieur!" she whispered, making slightly to get free. He held her closer. "Nay," he said. "Why do you fear me?" She ceased to struggle. "I fear--lest we be seen." Her yielding body, held close to his own, the perfume, the lovely face upturned, gripped his senses--for an instant, discretion fled--he bent and kissed those full red lips. And in that instant, Judith Marbury stood in the doorway, and saw it all. The next moment, she had vanished. But Miss Stirling was not so occupied with Maynadier, that she had not seen--and understood. She sprang away. "Judith Marbury!" she exclaimed. "Where?" he demanded, freeing her, instantly. "There--in the doorway! She saw you kiss me!" "The devil!" he exclaimed. "Who--Judith or I?" she asked, naïvely. "Myself--myself! and to set you right, I acted the devil and kissed you by force." "That is very good of you--to take the blame upon yourself--but I am guilty, too; I let you do it." He shook his head--though he knew she spoke only the truth. Her readiness to share the blame, however, made it only the more obligatory for him to assume it all. And she, knowing Maynadier better than he imagined, watched him with a sly smile, well understanding what would be his course. "I will explain to Miss Marbury," he said. "And I am sure that she will never tell." She laughed softly. "I am sure, too--I caught Sir Edward Parkington kissing her in the park yesterday, and there is no doubt that _she_ was willing, for her arms were about his neck. Furthermore, she knows that I saw her." Maynadier was silent. So the world turns! And Judith was willing! and Parkington was early taking the things that came his way! Vanity of vanities!... He laughed, a queer, dry laugh, that had no mirth in it, no feeling. "Which being the case, I will have another--several others!" he said--and crushed her to him. She lay in his arms, a moment, and gave him her lips--then, she put him firmly from her, and sat up. "You have had enough, for this time," she said, blushing. He looked at her, flushed and eager. Her beauty and warmth had done their work.