She smiled also.  “There is nothing the matter with me, you know.”

He gave her a shrewd look through his glasses.  “No,” he said.  “I know.”

He said no more at all about her health, nor did he touch upon any other intimate subject, but she had a very distinct impression that he did not cease to observe her closely throughout their desultory conversation.  She even tried to divert his attention, but she knew she did not succeed.

He remained with her until they saw Piers and Jeanie returning, and then somewhat suddenly he took his leave.  He joined the two on the lawn, sent Jeanie back to her, and walked away himself with his host.

What passed between them she did not know and could not even conjecture, for she did not see Piers again till they met in the hall before dinner.  Jeanie was with her, looking delicately pretty in her white muslin frock, and it was to her that Piers addressed himself.

“Come here, my queen!  I want to look at you.”

She went to him readily enough.  He took her by the shoulders.

“Are you made of air, I wonder?  I should be ashamed of you, Jeanie, if you belonged to me.”

Jeanie looked up into the handsome, olive face with eyes that smiled love upon him.  “I expect it’s partly because you are so big and strong,” she said.

“No, it isn’t,” said Piers.  “It’s because you’re so small and weak.  Avery will have to take you away to the sea again, what?  You’d like that.”

“And you too!” said Jeanie.

“I?  Oh no, you wouldn’t want me.  Would you, Avery?”

He deliberately addressed her for the first time that day.  Over the child’s head his eyes flashed their mocking message.  She felt as if he had struck her across the face.

“Would you?” he repeated, with arrogant insistence.

She tried to turn the question aside.  “Well, as we are not going—­”

“But you are going,” he said.  “You and Jeanie.  How soon can you start?  To-morrow?”

Avery looked at him in astonishment.  “Are you in earnest?”

“Of course I’m in earnest,” he said, with a frown that was oddly boyish.  “You had better go to Stanbury Cliffs.  It suited you all right in the spring.  Fix it up with Mrs. Lorimer first thing in the morning, and go down in the afternoon!”

He spoke impatiently.  Opposition or delay always set him chafing.

Jeanie looked at him with wonder in her eyes.  “But you, Piers!” she said.  “What will you do?”

“I?  Oh, I shall be busy,” he said.  “I’ve got a lot on hand just now.  Besides,” again the gibing note was in his voice, “you’ll get along much better without me.  Avery says so.”

“She didn’t!” exclaimed Jeanie, with a sudden rare touch of indignation.

“All right.  She didn’t,” laughed Piers.  “My mistake!” He flicked the child’s cheek teasingly, and then abruptly stooped and kissed it.  “Don’t be angry, Queen of the fairies!  It isn’t worth it.”