"
He made her a courteous bow. "Thank you, fairy god-mother! I believe you
are right. That may be why happiness is so shy a bird. We spread the net
too openly. Well," he heaved a sigh, "we live and learn." He turned to
the table and took up his riding whip. "I suppose my wife will be in bed
and sulk all day because I vetoed the Graydown Races."
"Oh, was that the trouble?" said Juliet.
He nodded gloomily. "I hate the set she consorts with at these shows.
There are some of the Fairharbour set--impossible people! But they boast
of being on nodding terms with that arch-bounder Lord Saltash, and so
everything is forgiven them."
Juliet suddenly stood up very straight. "I think I ought to tell you,"
she said, "that I know Lord Saltash. I have lived with the Farringmore
family, as you know. He is a friend of Lord Wilchester's."
The squire turned sharply. "I hope you're going to tell me also that you
can't endure the man," he said.
She made a little gesture of negation. "I never say that of anybody. I
don't feel I can afford to. Life has too many contradictions--too many
chances. The person we most despise to-day may prove our most valuable
defender to-morrow.
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