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tongue disapprovingly.
    “I suppose it might seem like that,” Charles admitted. “But one day I hope you will meet my brother. Then you will realise how unjust such a thought is.”
    For a moment Judith’s lips moved silently and her hands clenched and unclenched. Then, without another word, she turned abruptly and fled into the house.
    Mr. Bellairs laid a hand on Miss Ravensdale’s arm as she half rose in her chair.
    “No!” he said authoritatively. “Leave her alone! She is in no mood to listen to common sense!”
    Miss Ravensdale sank back, troubled, yet seeing that he was right.
    Linda caught Desmond’s eye and made a slight movement of her head to which he, as cautiously, replied.
    Linda stood up.
    “I am sure you will forgive us if we go now, Miss Ravensdale,” she said pleasantly. “We are working people, you know, and we keep early hours!”
    It was charmingly done and even Miss Ravensdale, who, as Linda had suspected, did not like her very much, had to admit it. If, too, there occurred to her the thought that it was a pity Linda’s good manners showed Judith up to even greater disadvantage, perhaps that was natural enough.
    When the Enstones had gone, Mr. Bellairs got slowly to his feet.
    “Oh, you’re not going as well, are you, Hugh?” Miss Ravensdale asked forlornly.
    He smiled reassuringly.
    “No, my dear. But I promised that I would spare the Parletts a little time this evening, with your permission. They are a bit worried about that young nephew of theirs—he will certainly get himself into trouble one day—and I may be able to help!”
    He went slowly into the house, and Charles saw that Miss Ravensdale’s fine eyes followed him until he was out of sight. Then she turned to Charles.
    “I am very sorry,” she said simply, and he did not attempt to misunderstand her.
    “How was it she did not know?” he asked.
    “When you first came, I suggested that she should read the letters which you wrote to me, but she did not do so,” Miss Ravensdale explained, and then, apologetically: “I must admit that I wasn’t sorry because, knowing Judith’s prejudice about having anyone, I realised that she would say something like that! After all, she was on the look-out for something—anything— that would ” she stopped abruptly.
    “That would get rid of me,” Charles finished. “Yes, I know.” He paused and went on more slowly. “You know, Miss Ravensdale, I have come to the conclusion that my first decision was the right one. I am not the man for this job!”
    Miss Ravensdale turned and searched his face with grave, penetrating eyes.
    “But you are hot going!” she stated rather than asked.
    “I am not going,” he repeated. “If only because—I am rather an obstinate man.”
    “Yes, I think you are,” she agreed candidly. “But you can’t be finding it easy ”
    "“I’m not,” he admitted. “But—never mind about that, Miss Ravensdale. Will it hurt you to tell me more about your brother? I have a feeling that it will help me to get to the bottom of something I heard the other day. Otherwise, I would not probe.”
    “It’s all right,” she assured him quietly. “What is it that you want to know?”
    He hesitated, less because he did not know what to say than because he wanted to make it very clear to her.
    “The thing I heard was this,” he said slowly. “I was having a look at Shawbury’s bull with him—a magnificent animal. And I asked him if he was showing it at the local Agricultural Show. He looked at me sideways and instead of answering me, he asked me another question. It was: ‘Is Windygates showing Trumpeter?’ When I said that we were, he said: ‘No, mister, I’m not showing!’ Of course, I tried to get to the bottom of it, but all he would say was that it didn’t always pay a tenant farmer to win prizes.”
    “I don’t understand,” Miss Ravensdale said slowly.
    “Nor did I at first. Then I got it. Shawbury’s farm actually belongs to Judith,