"You mean that, you want to sit out this dance with me?" she said with

a boyish directness that somewhat nonplussed him.

"Yes," he stammered rather foolishly.

She held her programme up to the light of the lantern. "I promised this

one to Arthur Conway. We quarrel every time we meet. I cannot think why

he asked me; he disapproves of me even more than his mother does--such

an interfering old lady. He will be overjoyed to be let off. And I

don't want to dance to-night. I am looking forward so tremendously to

to-morrow. I shall stay and talk to you, but you must give me a

cigarette to keep me in a good temper."

His hand shook a little as he held the match for her. "Are you really

determined to go through with this tour?"

She stared at him in surprise. "Why not? My arrangements have been made

some time. Why should I change my mind at the last moment?"

"Why does your brother let you go alone? Why doesn't he go with you?

Oh, I haven't any right to ask, but I do ask," he broke out vehemently.

She shrugged her shoulders with a little laugh. "We fell out, Aubrey

and I. He wanted to go to America. I wanted a trip into the desert. We

quarrelled for two whole days and half one night, and then we

compromised. I should have my desert tour, and Aubrey should go to New

York; and to mark his brotherly appreciation of my gracious promise to

follow him to the States without fail at the end of a month he has

consented to grace my caravan for the first stage, and dismiss me on my

way with his blessing. It annoyed him so enormously that he could not

order me to go with him, this being the first time in our wanderings

that our inclinations have not jumped in the same direction. I came of

age a few months ago, and, in future, I can do as I please. Not that I

have ever done anything else," she conceded, with another laugh,

"because Aubrey's ways have been my ways until now."

"But for the sake of one month! What difference could it make to him?"

he asked in astonishment.

"That's Aubrey," replied Miss Mayo drily.

"It isn't safe," persisted Arbuthnot.

She flicked the ash from her cigarette carelessly. "I don't agree with

you. I don't know why everybody is making such a fuss about it. Plenty

of other women have travelled in much wilder country than this desert."




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