Her hair blew loose about her face, and before she reached her goal she was ashamed of her untidiness, but it was not worth while to return for a hat, and she pressed on with a girl’s impetuosity, hoping that she would meet no one.

The hope was not to be fulfilled.  She reached the box and deposited her letter therein, but as she turned from doing so, there came the fall of a horse’s hoofs along the road at the end of the lane.

She caught the sound, and was pierced by a sudden, quite unaccountable suspicion.  Swiftly she gathered her cloak more securely about her, and hastened away.

Instantly it seemed to her that the hoof-beats quickened.  The lane was steep, and she realized in a moment that if the rider turned up in her wake, she must very speedily be overtaken.  She slackened her pace therefore, and walked on more quietly, straining her ears to listen, not venturing to look back.

Round the corner came the advancing animal at a brisk trot.  She had known in her heart that it would be so.  She had known from the first moment of hearing those hoof-beats, that Fate, strong and relentless, was on her track.

How she had known it she could not have said, but the wild clamour of her heart stifled any reasoning that she might have tried to form.  Her breath came and went like the breath of a hunted creature.  She could not hurry because of the trembling of her knees.  Every instinct was urging her to flee, but she lacked the strength.  She drew instead nearer to the wall, hoping against hope that in the gathering darkness he would pass her by.

Nearer and nearer came the hammering hoofs.  She could hear the horse’s sharp breathing, the creak of leather.  And then suddenly she found she could go no further.  She stopped and leaned against the wall.

She saw the animal pulled suddenly in, and knew that she was caught.  With a great effort she lifted a smiling face, and simulated surprise.

“You!  How do you do?”

“You knew it was me,” said Piers rather curtly.

He dropped from the saddle with the easy grace that always marked his movements, and came to her, leaving the animal free.

“Why were you running away from me?” he said.  “Did you want to cut me?”

He must have felt the trembling of her hand, for all in a moment his manner changed.  His fingers closed upon hers with warm assurance.  He suddenly laughed into her face.

“Don’t answer either of those questions!” he said.  “Didn’t you expect to see me?  We came home yesterday, thank the gods!  I’m deadly sick of being away.”

“Haven’t you enjoyed yourself?” Avery managed to ask.

He laughed again somewhat grimly.  “I wasn’t out for enjoyment.  I’ve been—­amusing myself more or less.  But that’s not the same thing, is it?  I should have drowned myself if I’d stayed out there much longer.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” said Avery.