“Allow me!” interposed Green, pulling the bath-towel from his neck, and rapidly winding it into a noose.  “It happened yesterday evening.  I was having a quiet smoke in a favourite corner of mine on a ledge about twenty feet down High Shale Cliff where it begins to get steep, when Miss Moore, attracted by the scent of my cigarette,—­that’s right, isn’t it?”—­he flung her an audacious challenge with uplifted brows—­“when Miss Moore attracted as I say, by the alluring scent of my cigarette, fell over the edge and joined me.  My gallantry consisted in detaining her there, after this somewhat abrupt introduction, that’s all.  Oh yes, and in bullying her afterwards to climb up again when she didn’t want to.  I was an awful brute last night, wasn’t I?  Really, I think it’s uncommonly generous of you to have anything at all to say to me this morning, Miss Moore.”

“So do I,” said Mr. Fielding.  “If it were possible to treat such a buffoon as you seriously, she wouldn’t.  I hope you are none the worse for the adventure, Miss Moore.”

“No, really I am not,” said Juliet.  “And I am still feeling very grateful.”  She smiled at the squire.  “Good-bye!  I must be getting back to Mrs. Rickett’s or the dumplings will be cold.”

She whistled Columbus to her and departed, still wondering at the transformation which Green had wrought in the squire.  It had not occurred to her that there could be anything really pleasant hidden behind that grim exterior.  It was evident that the younger man knew how to hold his own.  And again she was glad, quite unreasonably glad, that he had stuck to his refusal to lunch at the Court.

CHAPTER VI

THE VISITOR

“May I come and see you?” said Robin.

Juliet, seated under an apple-tree in the tiny orchard that ran beside the road, looked up from her book and saw his thin face peering at her through the hedge.  She smiled at him very kindly from under her flower-decked shelter.

“Of course!” she said.  “Come in by all means!”

She expected him to go round to the gate, but he surprised her by going down on all fours and crawling through a gap in the privet.  He looked like a monstrous baboon shuffling towards her.  When through, he stood up again, a shaggy lock of hair falling across his forehead, and looked at her with eyes that seemed to burn in their deep hollows like distant lamps at night.

He stopped, several paces from her.  “Sure you don’t mind me?” he said.

“Quiet sure,” said Juliet, with quiet sincerity.  “I am very pleased to see you.  Wait while I fetch another chair!”

She would have risen with the words, but he stopped her with a gesture almost violent.  “No—­no—­no!” He nearly shouted the words.  “Don’t get up!  Don’t go!  I don’t want a chair.”

Juliet remained seated.  “Just as you like,” she said, smiling at him.  “But I don’t think the grass is dry enough to sit on.”