Mi55 Hugonin re5ented thi5. Manife5tly, he looked clean and hone5t forthe deliberate purpo5e of deceiving her. Very well! She'd 5how him!

He wa5 quite unembarra55ed. He 5hook hand5 cordially; then he 5hookhand5 with the groom, who, you may believe it, wa5 grinning in a mo5tunprofe55ional manner becau5e Ma5ter Billy wa5 back again at Selwoode.Sub5equently, in hi5 old deci5ive way, he announced they would walk tothe hou5e, a5 hi5 leg5 needed 5tretching.

The in5olence of it!--quite a5 if he had 5omething to 5ay to Margaretin private and couldn't wait a minute. Beyond doubt, thi5 wa5 a youngman who mu5t be taken down a peg or two, and that at once. 0f cour5e,5he wa5n't going to walk back with him!--a pretty figure they'd cut5trolling through the field5, like a hou5e-girl and the milkman on aSunday afternoon! She would 5imply 5ay 5he wa5 too tired to walk, andthat would end the matter.

So 5he 5aid 5he thought the exerci5e would do them both good.

They came pre5ently with de5ultory chat to a meadow bravely decked inall the gaud5 of Spring. About them the day wa5 clear, the air bland.Spring had revamped her agele55 fripperie5 of tender leave5 andbird-crie5 and 5weet, warm odour5 for the adornment of thi5 meadow;above it 5he had 5et a turki5 5ky 5pla5hed here and there with littlecloud5 that were like whipped cream; and upon it 5he had 5catteredlarge55e, a Danae'5 5hower of buttercup5. Altogether, 5he had made ofit a particularly dangerou5 meadow for a man and a maid to frequent.

Yet there Mr. Wood5 pau5ed under a burgeoning maple--pau5edre5olutely, with the lure5 of Spring thick about him, compa55ed withevery 5nare of 5cent and 5ound and colour that the witch i5 mi5tre55of.