Mr. Charteris meditated.  Somewhere in a neighboring thicket a bird trilled out his song—­a contented, half-hushed song that called his mate to witness how infinitely blest above all other birds was he.  Mr. Charteris heard him to the end, and languidly made as to applaud; then Mr. Charteris raised his eyebrows.

“Of your husband, Patricia?” he queried.

“I—­Rudolph doesn’t bother about me nowadays sufficiently to—­notice anything.”

Mr. Charteris smiled.  “Of my wife, Patricia?”

“Good gracious, no!  I have not the least doubt you will explain matters satisfactorily to your wife, for I have always heard that practise makes perfect.”

Mr. Charteris laughed—­a low and very musical laugh.

“Of me, then, Patricia?”

“I—­I think it is rather of myself I am afraid.  Oh, I hate you when you smile like that!  You have evil eyes, Jack!  Stop it!  Quit hounding me with your illicit fascinations.”  The hand she had raised in threatening fashion fell back into her lap, and she shrugged her shoulders once more.  “My nerves are somewhat upset by the approaching prospect of connubial felicity, I suppose.  Really, though, mon ami, your conceit is appalling.”

Charteris gave vent to a chuckle, and raised the door-key to his lips.

“When you are quite through your histrionic efforts,” he suggested, apologetically, “I will proceed with my amorous pipings.  Really, Patricia, one might fancy you the heroine of a society drama, working up the sympathies of the audience before taking to evil ways.  Surely, you are not about to leave your dear, good, patient husband, Patricia?  Heroines only do that on dark and stormy nights, and in an opera toilette; wearing her best gown seems always to affect a heroine in that way.”

Mr. Charteris, at this point, dropped the key-ring, and drew nearer to her; his voice sank to a pleading cadence.

“We are in Arcadia, Patricia; virtue and vice are contraband in this charming country, and must be left at the frontier.  Let us be adorably foolish and happy, my lady, and forget for a little the evil days that approach.  Can you not fancy this to be Arcadia, Patricia?—­it requires the merest trifle of imagination.  Listen very carefully, and you will hear the hoofs of fauns rustling among the fallen leaves; they are watching us, Patricia, from behind every tree-bole.  They think you a dryad—­the queen of all the dryads, with the most glorious eyes and hair and the most tempting lips in all the forest.  After a little, shaggy, big-thewed ventripotent Pan will grow jealous, and ravish you away from me, as he stole Syrinx from her lover.  You are very beautiful, Patricia; you are quite incredibly beautiful.  I adore you, Patricia.  Would you mind if I held your hand?  It is a foolish thing to do, but it is preeminently Arcadian.”

She heard him with downcast eyes; and her cheeks flushed a pink color that was agreeable to contemplation.