Christmas Eve, and A

orner of the fruit cupboard-to which special sanctum Mrs. Lorimer and Avery alone had access. But the numerous gifts and ornaments which they had been manufacturing for weeks were

g a marvellous, glimmering star. A little weight of sadness was dragging at her heart, but she would not give it pla

ed her second stile, the first drops of what promised to be a sharp shower began to fall. She cast a hasty glance around for shelter, and spied some twenty yards a

ancient shutter which had evidently done duty for the

d to do so; for the darkness within was complete. But once in, she turned her f

d as of some creature in distress, and something stirred in the furthest corner.

lee, but something-something which at the moment she could not define-prompted her to remain. The

minence a couple of fields away. Right well Avery knew that sound. In the far-off days of her early girlhood it h

ard again in the hut behind her that agonized sound, half-cough, ha

he instant she acted. She felt as if a helpless and tortured being had crie

the open. It was no easy matter to set it securely against the low doorway. She wondered afterwards how she d

ass, she was ready. She leaned against the improvised door with arm

d eyes and gaping jaws made even Avery's brave heart quail. But she stood her ground, ordering them back with breathless insistence. They must have thought her a maniac, she reflecte

eight of her body. He called the hounds to order with hoarse oaths and furious crackings of the whip, and as he did so the rest of the

addressed Avery with

od enough to step aside and let

t blazed in her pale fac

erves better than that. You had your chance of killing in th

'im out," said th

ds, in the ripped gloves, w

hounds to relieve his feelings, and looked fo

Wardenhurst, pushed his horse forward. He

e to point out that that fox is now the legal property of t

w. She jogged it impatiently. "He'll remain our property

Let a woman interfere? Great Heavens

ed down at Avery as though he would slay her. The trampling hoofs came within a yard of her. But if he thought to make her desert her

ed Sir Beverley. "Conf

f his hunter splashed her, the mud from the stamping hoofs struck upwards

been left to settle the matter in his own way. She was horribly afrai

test. Another horse was spurred forward; and Piers, white to the lips, with eyes of awful flame, l

look flash like an evil spirit into Sir Beverley's face. She saw his right arm go up,

e one Sir Beverley rode finally rearing and being pulled down again by Piers who hung on to the br

o let them pass, but for many seconds it seemed to Avery that the awful s

. She wondered what the next move would be, and felt utterly powerless to pu

ck to kennels! I'm sure we've

" said a man

e horrid old fox alone! Don't you think we ought to go and s

called Dick. His proper appellation was Richard Guye

he county. "Oh, Piers is stuffed tight with gunpowder as everybody knows. He explodes at a

ooked at t

sure at Avery. "It's a most unheard of affair altogether, but I admit t

scratching and whimpering at a tiny chink in the boarding

elted away into the dee

last to go. They mo

county," the man said, "b

y laugh. "Yes, I wonder who she is. A friend of Piers'

ing," remarked Guyes. "Ye go

ng," said Ina unconcernedly

e was over, and she had emerged triumphant; but it did not seem to matter. She could think only of those awful blows raining down upon the d