“Miss Buckley is an awfully good sort, one can see that with half an eye,” he remarked. “She is a darling,” cried Lettice enthusiastically, “and my only friend in the world.” Darcy took her hand in his own. “No, you must not say that. We met in a very unconventional manner certainly, but that does not matter as we know all about each other now. I hope you feel you have another friend in me. But what I really wanted to say was this, and, of course, you are as aware of it as I am. You are of quite a different class from her.” The acquaintance, begun casually on board the boat, ripened with amazing rapidity into friendship, swiftly into love on the part of the young man and also of Lettice Larchester. Alma Buckley, who had no real experience of the world, although perhaps she was just a little more sophisticated than her friend, looked on approvingly. Darcy was a gentleman, a man of culture and refinement, he had plenty of money. It would be an ideal match for Lettice, and the girl was as much in love with him as he was with her. The visit prolonged itself to six weeks instead of the four originally contemplated, and at the end of that time Alma Buckley returned to her flat alone. George Darcy and Lettice Larchester were married in Paris, and started on their honeymoon the day before she left for England. CHAPTER XXVI THE STORY CONTINUED After a prolonged honeymoon, in which they visited Rome, Naples, Venice and other places of interest, the young couple returned to London, where they took a small suite of rooms at the Metropole. The bride was very happy: Darcy proved an ideal husband, a man of equable temper and sunny disposition, and the luxury with which she had been surrounded since her marriage was a delightful contrast to the drab life at Brinkstone and Fulham, and the comfortable but rather unrefined atmosphere of her friend’s flat. With regard to Miss Buckley, Darcy had hinted very delicately that while she would always be a welcome guest wherever they were, he would prefer that his wife should see as little as possible of her music-hall acquaintances, which was no longer quite the right sort of society for a woman in her position. In other words, her friend could come to her as often as she liked, but she was not to go to Alma. Lettice at once fell in with his wishes, which she did not consider unreasonable in the circumstances. Alma’s friends were good-hearted and pleasant enough in their way, but they were certainly boisterous and lacking in refinement, and a man like the elegant Darcy could have nothing in common with them.