able to avert her. And he writhed under the imprisonment.

Gudrun put her face into the flowers.

‘But how beautiful they are!’ she said, in a muffled voice. Then, with a strange, suddenly revealed passion, she stooped and kissed Winifred.

Mr Crich went forward with his hand held out to her.

‘I was afraid you were going to run away from us,’ he said, playfully.

Gudrun looked up at him with a luminous, roguish, unknown face.

‘Really!’ she replied. ‘No, I didn’t want to stay in London.’ Her voice seemed to imply that she was glad to get back to Shortlands, her tone was warm and subtly caressing.