’"And you,” I said, “must also be a lover of Nature, or you could not find such delight in watching animals.”

’"No,” he said, “the interest I take in animals has nothing whatever to do with love of Nature or study of Nature.  They interest me by that unconsciousness of grace which makes them such a contrast to man.”

’We then went into the house.  Our talk during our ramble in the fields seemed to remove effectually all awkwardness and restraint between us.

X

‘That day,’ said Winnie, ’a determination which had been caused by many a reflection during the last few hours induced me at dinner to lead the conversation to the subject of pictures and models.  In a few minutes Mr. D’Arcy launched out in an eloquent discourse upon a subject which was so new to me and so familiar to him.

’"You were saying this morning, Mr. D’Arcy,” I urged me to tell her what had befallen myself since we had parted at the cottage door at Raxton.  Even had it been possible for me to talk about myself without touching upon some dangerous incident or another, my impatience to get at the mystery of mysteries in connection with her and her rescue from Primrose Court was so great that I could only implore her to tell me what had occurred down to her leaving Hurstcote Manor, and also what had been the cause of her leaving.

‘Well,’ said Winnie, ’I am now going to tell you of an extraordinary thing that happened.  One fine night the moon was so brilliant that after I quitted Mr. D’Arcy I stole out of the side door into the garden, a favourite place of mine, for old English flowers were mixed with apple trees and pear trees.  I was strolling about the garden, thinking over a thousand things connected with you, and myself, and Mr. D’Arcy, when I saw stooping over a flower-bed the figure of a tall woman.  I could scarcely believe my eyes, for I had all the while supposed that, excepting Mr. D’Arcy, myself, and Mrs. Titwing, the servants were the only occupants of the place.  I turned away, and walked silently through the little wicket into what is called the home close.  As I pondered over the incident, I recalled certain things which singly had produced no effect on my mind, but which now fitted in with each other, and seemed to open up vistas of mystery and suspicion.  Mysterious looks and gestures on the faces of the servants pointed to there being some secret that was to be kept from me.  I had not given much heed to these things, but now I could not help connecting them with the appearance of the tall woman in the garden.

’Some guests arrived next day, and when I pleaded headache Mr. D’Arcy said, “Perhaps you would rather keep to your own room to-day.”

’I told him I should, and I spent the day alone—­spent it mainly in thinking about the tall woman.  In the evening I went into the garden, and remained there for a long time, but no tall woman made her appearance.