"I am willing. If I am allowed to--say, run abroad, or remove myself into the country well out of reach, until, at any rate, the play's produced, I am content to let Winton do just as he pleases." "I doubt if that would meet Mrs. Lamb's views. I imagine that she might regard your withdrawal as a personal affront. Talfourd, will you allow me to explain to Miss Wallace what I imagine is your exact position in this matter?" Miss Johnson addressed a question to Mr. Staines before Margaret could reply. "Frank, you can be honest sometimes, and you can be sensible. Try to be both of them now. What do you think of Mrs. Lamb?" "It is a delicate subject, on which I should not presume to offer an opinion." "That means that you don't love her." "I have only loved one person in my life, and it certainly was not her." Miss Johnson looked straight in front of her, as if she desired to convey the impression that she had no idea that any allusion was intended. Margaret urged Mr. Winton. "Come, tell me what Harry's position really is, since I am quite unable to get it out of him." "Shall I, Talfourd?" "You may say what you choose, only give me leave to doubt if you are so well informed as you yourself imagine. I don't understand myself as well as I should like to." "I fancy I understand pretty well. The truth is, Miss Wallace, Mrs. Lamb is fonder of Talfourd than he is of her." "I am quite aware of that." "I don't think you altogether appreciate my meaning. If there were no Mr. Lamb, Mrs. Lamb would not object to being Mrs. Talfourd--which is why she wants to produce 'The Gordian Knot,' and why Talfourd doesn't want her to." "Do you mean that she's in love with him? Harry! is this true? You told me that she had never said anything to you she ought not to have done." "Nor has she. Winton speaks crudely. I don't know what is his authority for his statement, he certainly has had none from me." "Is it simply because--she feels for you like that--that she wants to produce your play?" "Honestly, Meg, I don't know what her reasons are. I wish I did." "Does she know that you're--engaged?" "Not that I am aware of. So far as possible I have carefully avoided speaking to her of myself. Frankly, Meg, it's no use blinking the fact that as Mrs. Lamb's private secretary there's nothing for me to do; that she has not the slightest real need for such a functionary; and that I am very much exercised in my mind as to the motives which would actuate her in the production of 'The Gordian Knot'. Although I am quite aware that he meant well, I should have been obliged to Winton if he hadn't said a word to her about the thing." "At that time I had no actual knowledge of how the land was lying." "But you guessed." This was Margaret.