During the small hours it seemed almost as though Carrissima's hint might prove of some avail. For the first time he began to hesitate concerning the future. In an exceptionally sane interval he came near to agreement with his daughter. Her remark about Bridget's means had been, in fact, a revelation. Not that he cared whether she possessed any money or not, but the absence of it might be a deplorable temptation. Could it be possible that she had been deliberately awaiting Mark's return, postponing her answer to the older man until she convinced herself there was not a chance of securing the younger? An infuriating suspicion, but still not capable of causing Colonel Faversham's withdrawal. On the contrary, as he shaved the following morning, cutting his chin rather badly, he told himself that if only Bridget would consent to marry him, every other consideration might go to limbo! By eleven o'clock he was waiting in the sitting-room at Number 5, Golfney Place. Until her appearance he walked restlessly from the fireplace to the farthest window, stopping to look at the uninviting oleographs on the wall, inspecting the row of David Rosser's novels which filled the hanging shelf. Colonel Faversham was in an unstable mood this morning. Why couldn't Bridget come? She must know by this time that he detested waiting! Every other minute he glanced at the door, and at last when she entered breathed a deep sigh of relief. "What a very early bird!" she cried, coming towards him in her graceful, unhurried way. "I want to catch the---- No, no," he said, "that won't do! You didn't tell me you had seen Mark Driver!" he added, holding her hand. "Didn't I?" was the casual answer. "But why should I? You surely don't imagine for a moment I tell you everything! How deeply astonished you would be! What an amusing disillusionment!" "Why should it be?" he demanded. "What have you to be ashamed of?" "Ever so much," said Bridget. "So many men would like to shut us up in harems, wouldn't they?" "It depends on the woman," returned the colonel. "I assure you it would never answer in my case," she exclaimed. "Neither bolts nor bars would keep me in." "My dear," he said, "you drive me half out of my mind. You give me no peace." "Oh, you poor thing!" she murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Say you will be my wife and have done with it," he urged. "Now, supposing--only supposing that I were foolish enough----" "You will," he cried, and doubtless he looked a little ridiculous as he went down on one knee. The joint, too, was stiffer than usual this morning. "What do you imagine," she suggested, "that Carrissima would say--and your son!" At this alarming reminder Colonel Faversham made an attempt to rise, but to his annoyance a cry of pain escaped. Unable for the moment to straighten his knee, he remained at Bridget's feet, conscious of the anti-climax. "Let me help you," she said, sympathetically offering her hand.