"All right. Come along. I'm delighted to go with you." They walked off in silence. Dora was in distress. She saw that the General was immovable. Suddenly Charlie turned to her and remarked, "Well, it's all over with me, Miss Bellairs." "What? How do you mean?" "My chance is gone. They're to be married in a fortnight. I had a letter to say so this morning." Dora turned suddenly to him. "Oh, but it's too extraordinary," she cried. "So had I!" "What?" "Why, a letter to say they were to be married in a fortnight." "Nonsense!" "Yes. Mr. Ellerton--who--who is your friend?" "Her name's Mary Travers." "And who is she going--to marry?" "Ah! She hasn't told me that." A suspicion of the truth struck them both. Charlie produced his letter. "She writes," he said, showing the postmark, "from Dittington." "It is! It is!" she cried. "It must be Mary Travers that Mr. Ashforth is going to marry!" "Is that your friend?" "Yes. Is she pretty, Mr. Ellerton?" "Oh, awfully. What sort of a fellow is he?" "Splendid!" "Isn't it a deuced queer thing?" "Most extraordinary. And when we told one another we never thought----." "How could we?" "Well, no, we couldn't, of course." A pause followed. Then Charlie observed: "I suppose there's nothing to be done." "Nothing to be done, Mr. Ellerton! Why if I were a man I'd leave for England tonight." "And why can't you?" "Papa won't. But you might." "Ye--es, I suppose I might. It would look rather odd, wouldn't it?" "Why, you yourself suggested it!" "Yes, but the marriage was a long way off then." "There's the more reason now for haste." "Of course, that's true, but----." "Oh, if papa would only take me!" A sudden idea seemed to strike Charlie; he assumed an air of chivalrous sympathy. "When shall you go?" he asked. "Not till to-day week," she said. "We shan't get to England till three or four days before it." Dora knew nothing of the proposed stay in Paris. "Look here, Miss Bellairs," said Charlie, "we agreed to stand by one another. I shall wait and go when you do." "But think----." "I've thought." "You're risking everything." "If she'll break it off ten days before, she'll do the same four days before." "If she really loves you she will." "Anyhow we'll stand or fall together." "Oh, I oughtn't to let you, but I can't refuse. How kind you are!" "Then that's settled," said Charlie, "And we must try to console one another till then." "The suspense is awful, isn't it?" "Of course. But we must appear cheerful. We mustn't betray ourselves." "Not for the world! I can never thank you enough. You'll come with us all the way?" "Yes." "Thank you again." She gave him her hand, which he pressed gently. "Hullo!" said he. "We seem to have got up by the church somewhere. Where were we going to?" "Why, to Rumpelmayer's." "Oh, ah! Well, let's go back to the hotel."