"How do you know?" asked Diana. "You never go into them, you lazy thing!" Mrs. Wemyss hesitated, listening to the banter that passed between Diana and Scott Wallace, which slightly excluded her for the moment. Then she made up her mind that her authority over Inwood must be asserted at once, and that she had time enough to eliminate Diana later. She turned and saw Inwood passing the windows outside on the terrace. The next moment she was on the terrace, too, and he turned slowly to confront her. "Billy," she said gently, "are you feeling perfectly well?" "Perfectly, thanks." "Then why didn’t you remain at my request?" "I didn’t care to." "But _I_ asked you," she said, surprised. "Yes, I know you did." "Well?" she asked, astonished. He had been looking away from her out over the misty moonlit river. Now he turned. "Lillian," he said, "do you honestly care for me?" "Billy, what a question!" "Yes, it’s one kind of question.... _Do_ you?" "You know I do. How can you ask such a——" "Do you _love_ me? "What!" "_Do_ you?" "Billy, what on earth is——" "Wait, please. Let me ask you again, Lillian. Are you honestly in love with me?" "I don’t know what you mean by suddenly and abruptly questioning—demanding——" "Please answer." "You have no right to doubt it. You know perfectly well what we have been to each other—even before——" "What _have_ we been?" "I supposed we had been in love," she said with sad dignity. "I wrote you while I was abroad, and—I don’t write many letters." "Then you _are_ in love with me.... We are in love. Is that true as you understand it?" "You silly boy—of course!" He stood stock still for a moment, tasting all the misery he had stored up for himself. Finally, he found his voice. "If that is so," he said, "we ought to be engaged." "Oh, Billy! Are you jealous?" She laughed, radiant, delighted to feel the leash tighten in her soft little hand once more. "No," he said, "I am not jealous; but, if we are to marry, it is time people understood it." "Do you mean these people?" "I mean everybody." "You don’t mean to announce our engagement this winter?" she asked uneasily. "I mean to announce it now." "Here!" "Here—to-night." "I—I don’t wish to," she faltered. "You are unreasonable." "Is there any reason why people shouldn’t know it?" "My dear boy, one doesn’t announce such important matters on the impulse of the moment." "If I’m going to marry you, I want people to know it now!" he said. "I’ve explained that I did not wish it." "Why?" "Why? There are a million perfectly good reasons." "Give me one, Lillian."