For this reason he walked home along the high road, ignoring the dusty cars--so that he might look on either side of him into distances, the shaded sleep of meadows in the east, the pine-bound brows of the Forest in the west. He did not feel that resentment at Nature's indifference to human moods, which is a man's right and a token of his lordship. On the contrary, the beauty and happiness of the background to his travail gave him a vague sense of ultimate justice. The peace of the country against the restless misery of human life reminded him of those early Italian pictures of the Crucifixion--in which, behind all the hideous mediæval realism of the subject, lies a tranquil background of vineyard and cypress, lazily shining waters, dream cities on the hills. That was Life--a crucifixion against a background of green fields. He was roused from his meditations by being nearly knocked down by a big car. He sprang into the hedge, and cursed with his mouth full of dust. The dust drifted, and he saw some one else crouching in the hedge not a hundred feet away. It was a girl with her bicycle--somehow he felt no surprise when he saw that it was Tony Strife, the "girl-kid," again. She was obviously in difficulties. One of her tyres was off, and her repairing outfit lay scattered by the roadside. She did not see him, but stooped over her work with a hot face. Nigel did not think of greeting her--though their last encounter had impressed him far more than the first; she had even come once or twice into his dreams, standing with little Ivy among fields of daisies, in that golden radiance which shines only in sleep. He was passing, when suddenly she lifted her head, and recognition at once filled her eyes-- "Oh, Mr. Smith!..." Her voice had in it both relief and entreaty. He stopped at once. "What's happened?" "I've punctured my tyre--and I can't mend it." He knelt down beside her, and searched among the litter on the road. "Why, you haven't got any rubber!" "That's just it. I haven't used my bicycle for so long that I never thought of looking to see if everything was there. What shall I do?" "Let me wheel it for you to a shop." "There's nowhere nearer than Forest Row, and that's three miles away." "Are you in a great hurry?" "Yes--terrible. The others have gone up to Fairwarp in the car for a picnic. There wasn't enough room for us all, so Awdrey and I were to bicycle; then she said her skirt was too tight, so they squeezed her in, and I bicycled alone. It's quite close really, but I had this puncture, and they all passed me in the car, and never saw me, they were going so fast. I don't know how I can possibly be at Fairwarp in time." "No--nor do I. We can't mend your tyre without the stuff, and the nearest shop is two miles from here." "I'll have to go home, that's all. They'll be awfully sick about it--for I've got the nicest cakes on my carrier." Nigel laughed.