"It's mediæval," said Christine fondly. "And you were going away with Walter Blake!" She drew her little figure up straight. "Sibylla, you're no woman if you don't manage a man like that in the end. He's worth it, you know." "You mean--if I don't let him manage me?" Sibylla was a little contemptuous. "I don't care about tyranny, even tempered by epigrams," she explained. "Well, not when you only do the epigrams," smiled Christine. "That's not true. I only ask a real partnership." "You must begin by contributing all you have." "I did. But Grantley----" "Paid a composition? Oh yes, my dear; men do. That's as old as Byron anyhow." She came suddenly to Sibylla and kissed her. "And you'd be adorable, properly deluded." "You shan't put it like that, Christine." "Yes, I will--and I know he loves you." "He can't love anything--not really." "I shall watch him. Oh, my dear, what a comfort to watch anybody except John! Oh yes, yes, I suppose you'd better have my story too. You've had most of it before--without the name. But look away. I've no theories, you know--and--well, I was in love." She laughed a little, blushing red. But her composure returned when she had finished her confession. "And now what do we think of one another?" she asked, with her usual satirical little smile. "You don't know? Oh yes! You think me rather wicked, and I think you very silly; that's about what it comes to." "I suppose that is about it," Sibylla laughed reluctantly. "But I've repented, and you're only going to repent." "Never!" "Yes, you are. I take no credit for having done it first. It's much easier to repent of wickedness than of nonsense. The wickedness is much pleasanter at the time, and so seems much worse afterwards." "And now you're in love with John?" "Good heavens, no!" She pulled herself up. "Well, I don't know. If I'm in love now, it's not what I used to mean by it. One gets to use words so differently as time goes on." "I don't think I shall ever learn that." Destiny assumed Christine's small neat features for a moment in order to answer sternly: "But you must!" It was the worst way of dealing with Sibylla. "I won't!" she answered in overt rebellion, her cheek flushing now as her confession had not availed to make it flush.