"I should toss up for it," he decided, without deciding.
"What an old fool he is!" the duchess observed confidentially into the ear of Charlotte Grey, who started visibly.
"Who do you mean?" asked Lady Grey sharply.
"I thought you were Nina Darling," she confessed. "I meant the head-keeper, of course. Who else could I mean?"
"But where is dear Nina?" the duchess blandly inquired. "Such a charming person! She always livens one up so. I'm really very fond of Nina. We do so enjoy her whenever she comes to Puddlewood."
"She's just getting out of sight there," replied Lady Grey, still more coldly. "That's Sir Caryll with her. It seems he's given up shooting since his jilting."
"Shall we go on with the guns?" queried Lady Bellingdown. "It's just as you like, duchess."
"Oh, if I can do as I like I'll go home with the china and the butler and the pony-cart," her grace answered. "It would be something new to do."
Kneedrock laughed and hooked his arm through hers.
"I've a nice upholstered car turning up at three," he told her in an undertone. "Be patient and I'll provide for you."
"But there are two cars waiting now," said the duchess. "Oh, I see. You're making a joke. But such a poor joke, Nibbetts, dear."
"Do let us settle on what to do," begged the hostess. "Shall we walk with the guns or go home at once?"
"And is it to be the spinney or Daggs Farm?" cried the host. "Come, now, we can't wait about all day, you know."
"But we often wait about an hour after luncheon at Puddlewood, you know," objected the duke. "I say, Doody, don't we often wait about an hour after luncheon at Puddlewood?"
"Mrs. Darling and Sir Caryll are quite out of sight now," announced Charlotte Grey, slinging her blue scarf around her throat. "I wonder what they're saying."
As a matter of fact, at just that second they were not saying anything. They were stopping and trying to think, and their pulses were interfering rather too much for cool comfort.
They were at the Lower Stream Stile, which was a picture spot in the park. At the moment the picture had the deeper meaning always added by human figures.
Nina sat on the second step of the stile, and Sir Caryll sat on the lowest, cuddled in close by her feet. He had her hand in his and his eyes were raised to her face.