"No, I won’t! ... Jack! Don’t be foolish. I had no idea you had arrived as far as that. I had no reason to think so—to suppose for one moment—because it has always been the jolliest and most unsentimental—and—you never even touched me before." Her color brightened, and her breath came irregularly. She tried to laugh, and failed. "You know perfectly well that they have other ambitions for you." "I know.... How is it with you, Silvette?" "With me? What do you mean?" "Could you care for me?" "I—I haven’t even thought about such a—I haven’t really, Jack. You know that, don’t you? You must try to look back on our very brief friendship—try to recollect how brief it has been—try to remember—remember how happy and amusing and confident that friendship has been—with no suspicion of sentiment to embarrass or vex——" "I know.... Isn’t there any hope for me?" "Hope? No.... Don’t put it that way, Jack.... I _don’t_ love you.... I oughtn’t to, and, thank Heaven, I don’t. And you don’t really love me—you dear, sweet fellow! It’s just part of your niceness—your generous attitude toward a girl——" "I’m in love with you.... But that mustn’t worry you. It had to be. You need feel no self-reproach. You didn’t do anything—you were just yourself—and I"—he laughed a little—"started in to love you as soon as I saw you.... I’m glad you know it, anyway. We won’t say anything more about it——" "Jack, we _will_! Do you understand that you have distressed me dreadfully? Do you realize what a girl’s responsibilities are when a nice man loves her? Do you think she can merely shrug her shoulders and go about her daily frivolities without another thought?" She rose to her feet, looking at him earnestly. "Oh, Jack! Jack!" she said, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands; "why did you do this? Why _did_ you?" He forced a laugh. "I won’t do it again—ever," he said. "Promise you never to fall-in-love-again-hope-I-may-die’n-cross m’heart." But there were no smiles left in her now. "If you don’t behave," he threatened, "I’ll lock us both inside and sing songs to you!" ... But the smile died out on his face. "I was a gink to tell you. Don’t feel unhappy about it," again the engaging humor glimmered in his eyes. "Cheer up, Silvette; you may fall in love with me yet!" She looked up, the smile dawning, distressed, yet sweet. "Don’t let me, Jack.... Because I’m all right, so far.... And you know what your father wishes for you. I want to deal honorably by him." "All right," he said quietly. They walked slowly back to the house together, and the girl went directly to her room, where she found her sister mending stockings. *CHAPTER IX* *NON SEQUITUR* Silvette dropped into an armchair, crossed her knees, and sat swinging her foot and gazing through the open window in silence until Diana’s head, lifted from time to time in smiling interrogation, could be no longer ignored.