you seem to be fixed up there?” called Brangwen's companions from the road.

He went red with anger.

“Ay — don't worry,” he called back.

“How long are yer stoppin'?” they asked.

“Not after Christmas,” he said.

And the girl gave a tinkling peal of laughter.

“All right — by-bye!” called his friends.

And they cantered off, leaving him very flushed, trying to be quite normal with the girl. But presently he had gone back to the hotel and given his horse into the charge of an ostler and had gone off with the girl into the woods, not quite knowing where he was