Later, as they walked home together across the fields, accompanied by the now jubilant Tribes of Israel, she returned to the subject. "If you'll promise not to discredit me by running away with her, Brett, we'll go over to see your friend at the Priory. I should have to call, in any case, before long." "You needn't be afraid. There's not the remotest danger of my wanting to run off with her." "She's rather a beautiful person," warned Lady Susan laughingly. "You'll probably lose your heart to her within half an hour." "I've only done such a thing once in my life," he replied coolly. "I'm not likely to do it again." "When was that, Brett?" she asked with some curiosity. She had never heard of his having any serious love-affair. "To-day," he replied unexpectedly. Lady Susan paused and surveyed him with unfeigned astonishment. "Ann?" she cried. "Do you mean you've fallen in love with my little Ann--already?" "I mean rather more than that," he said deliberately. "I mean that I'm going to marry your little Ann." His aunt regarded him with a gleam of amusement. "Ann Lovell is a young woman with a very decided mind of her own," she observed. "It's just conceivable she might refuse you." Forrester returned her glance with eyes like blue steel. "It wouldn't make a bit of difference if she did," he said laconically. CHAPTER XIII "FRIENDSHIP IMPLIES TRUST" _"Can you put me up? Tony."_ Ann was sitting in the garden one morning, industriously occupied in shelling peas, when the foregoing terse wire was handed to her by the village telegraph boy. Tony's silence throughout the last few weeks had somewhat disturbed her. She had not received a single line from him since the day he had accompanied her to Victoria station and seen her safely on board the train for Silverquay, and now her brows drew together rather anxiously as she perused this unexpected message. The telegram had been handed in at the local post office at Lorne, so it was obvious that Tony was at home, and the only reason she could surmise for his sudden request was that he had had a rather bigger quarrel than usual with his uncle. She scribbled an affirmative reply on the prepaid form which had accompanied the wire and dispatched it by the telegraph boy, who was waiting placidly in the sunshine--and looked as though he were prepared to wait all day if necessary. Then, when she had slit the last fat pod in her basket and shelled its contents, she picked up the bowl of shiny green peas and carried it into the kitchen where Maria was busy making bread. "Can we do with a visitor, Maria?" she asked, flapping the flimsy pink telegram gaily in front of her. "Here's Mr. Tony Brabazon wiring to know if we can put him up."