"Are you grieved I won't take those hats?" she asked. "I am," Vane confessed and proceeded to explain with unnecessary ingenuousness: "I'm still more vexed with the state of things its typical of--I suppose I mean the restrictedness of this civilised life. When you want to do anything in the bush, you take the axe and set about it; but here you're continually running up against some artificial obstacle." "One understands that it's worse in England," said Jessie. "But in regard to Miss Hartley, I'll recommend her to my friends as far as I can." Just then Vane made an abrupt movement, and Jessie realised by his expression that he had suddenly become oblivious of her presence. She had no doubt about the reason for this, because Evelyn Chisholm entered the room. The lamplight fell upon her as she crossed the threshold, and Jessie recognised unwillingly that she looked surprisingly handsome. Handsome, however, was not the word Vane would have used. He thought Evelyn looked exotic, highly cultivated, strangely refined, as though she had grown up in a rarefied atmosphere in which nothing rank could thrive. Though Evelyn had her faults, the impression she made on him was, perhaps, more or less justifiable. Then he remembered that the girl had been offered to him and he had refused the gift. He wondered how he had exerted the necessary strength of will, for he was conscious that admiration, respect, pity, had now changed and melted into sudden passion. His blood tingled and, as it happened, no change of his expression was lost upon his companion. Laying a check upon his thoughts, he resumed a desultory conversation with Jessie, though he betrayed himself several times during it, and at length she let him go. It was, however, some time before he secured a place beside Evelyn. He was now quiet and self-contained. "Nairn promised me a surprise this evening, but it has exceeded all my expectations," he said. "How are your people?" Evelyn informed him that their health was satisfactory, and added, watching him the while: "Gerald sent his best remembrances." "Ah!" said Vane in a casual manner, "I'm glad to have them." Evelyn was now convinced that Mabel had been correct in concluding that he had assisted Gerald financially, though she was aware that nothing would induce either of the men to acquaint her with the fact. "I understood from Mrs. Nairn that you were away in the bush," she said. He turned and regarded her steadily. "That was the case, and I'm shortly going off again. Perhaps it's fortunate that I may be away some time. It will leave you more at ease." The last remark was more of a question than an assertion, and Evelyn knew the man could be direct. She also esteemed candour. "No," she said; "I wouldn't wish you to think that--and I wouldn't like to believe that I had anything to do with driving you away."