“Why did you marry your husband, Helen?” Cynthia Moore asked laughingly, but she did wonder with all her might. Since she had known the two she had never been able to understand the union. Mrs. Hereford, leaning with one hand on the gift table, the other playing with her long rope of pearls, said absent-mindedly, “Oh, there must be twenty reasons why!” “And you can’t think of one!” exclaimed the girl. On the hard floor of the next room fell the footsteps of some one coming quickly toward them. “Listen, Nell,” laughed the girl who was staying in the house, “‘the Earl of Moray is stounin’ through the town!’ You’ll miss him, too, when he goes to-morrow! I am awfully sorry for him.” “Hello, Captain Ramsay!” she said. “Come and take my place and list these things with Mrs. Hereford.” She held out the book and the pencil to him. She understood many things. Since Ramsay had come to Waybrook ten days before with Jack Hereford, he had scarcely spoken a word to any one; scarcely looked at any one but the lady of the house, and his absorption in her was dangerously charming to a woman not in love with her husband. “You don’t have to stay in the house all morning, do you, Mrs. Hereford?” he asked eagerly. Ramsay wore the uniform of the Blank Flying Corps, and his breast was full of stars. “Yes, Miss Moore and I are on guard here, and I wish you would do something for me, will you, like an angel?” Ramsay mechanically picked up the pigskin purse. “I have got one like this,” he said, “it doesn’t look like a wedding present! I have carried mine through the war and it is as empty now as it was then,” he laughed. “Please, please!” urged the lady of the house, “do run down to the graperies where we were yesterday----” Ramsay interrupted. “I wanted to go with you now, Mrs. Hereford, down there; can’t we?” “I am on guard. If anything were stolen from this room, Cynthia and I would be responsible. I am making up a lunch basket for Patricia. She is crazy about Hamburg grapes and I want to put some in.” “You only want to send me away,” he laughed. “I never went on so many distant errands in my life! Isn’t there something you want in New York?” “I do want the grapes!” She wanted to get him from under the clever scrutiny of Cynthia Moore, and after he had gone out of the room, reluctant in every move of his body, Miss Moore asked, “What do you know about Captain Ramsay?” The bridesmaid had a fashion of putting questions when she was interested in anything with a frank abruptness, at once alluring and embarrassing. “Not much, just picturesque things,” said the lady of the house. “There’s the last item, Cinnie, diamond pendant, value four thousand dollars.”