"Perhaps I had better explain," he began in a tone of elaborate forbearance. "I live at Wembly. Most of the land between here and there belongs to me. Pastimes happens to be outside the limit, and so it escaped my memory. I have not been over it before. I did not know the last tenants. For the last few weeks I have been looking for a house for my friend--a member of the family who is returning from abroad. Invalided!" He pronounced the last word with emphasis, staring fixedly at me the while. I adapted my features to express polite commiseration. "It is natural that he should wish to live within driving distance of his friends." "Oh, quite!" "The moment that I saw Pastimes I knew for a sure thing that it would be just his house--" "I am sorry, but as he has not seen it, he can't be disappointed. There must be other houses--" "I have already said I have been searching round for--the--last--three-- weeks," Mr Maplestone repeated, in the carefully deliberate tone which disguises irritation. "Nothing else will suit anything like so well." I murmured indefinitely, and glanced at the screen. Mentally I could see Charmion leaning back in her chair, smiling her slow fine smile, inquisitively waiting to see just how firm or how weak I could be. I was not inclined to be weak. There was something in the personality of this big domineering man which roused an imp of contradiction. We sat silent, eyeing one another across the room. "I believe you and--er--Mrs Fane are strangers to this neighbourhood?" "Yes! That is so." "You have no--er--special link or attraction?" I saw the trap, and protested blandly. "Oh, yes! We are delighted with Pastimes. It exactly suits our requirements." Mr Maplestone frowned, and fidgeted to and fro, then suddenly leant forward, straightening his face into what was obviously intended to be a smile. "Miss Wastneys! Will you forgive me if I am perfectly frank and honest, and tell you exactly what is in my mind?" "Of course I will. I am sure," I declared mendaciously, "there can be nothing to forgive!" He had the grace to look a trifle ashamed, but his resolution did not waver. Not a bit! He looked straight in my eyes, and said deliberately:-- "I want Pastimes! For the moment it has slipped through my fingers, but a couple of hours cannot seriously affect your arrangements. On my cousin's behalf I am anxious to take over the lease. It would be an act of grace on your part if you would agree to this arrangement, and deal with me as his representative!" The audacity of it! For a moment I was silent for sheer want of breath, but I could feel the blood rushing into my cheeks, and knew that my eyes were sending out flashes to meet his own. My appearance must have prepared him for my answer before it came, uttered in a very calm, very haughty, aggravatingly deliberate tone.