"You are sure she is not out in the damp again, to-day?" said Val, significantly, and gave his companion what he considered a meaning look. "Hey? Are you sure of that, Maud?" "As I was with her five minutes ago, I think I may be," retorted Maud, and convinced by this preamble that Leo, not herself, was the real object of the visit, she was less gracious than before. "I thought you said it was me you wanted?"--she threw out, however. "So it is. I don't want Leo--not a bit. I don't want her ever again, that's more. You'd say the same if you'd seen what I saw. Give me time, and I'll tell you all about it. That's what I came for." "Really, Val, I--it's not the thing, you know, to come to one of us with complaints of the other. If you have any fault to find with Leo, you must say so to herself." "You wait till you hear. You won't be so keen for me to go to Leo----" "But I really can't," said Maud, rising. Her pride revolted at the idea of being the confidant of some silly quarrel, which did not concern her in the slightest. "I don't know anything about it, and I don't want to know. Do talk of other things." "What? When I came here on purpose----?" "Hush,--you needn't be excited. Of course if you are determined to speak, you had better speak and be done with it; but I warn you I shan't take your part, or any one's part----" "As long as you don't take Paul's part," cried he, with a flash of inspiration, "the rest doesn't matter." "Paul's part?" For very amazement Maud fell into her chair again, and stared at the speaker as though he had struck her a blow. "What--what did you say? Did you say 'Paul's part'?" "Yes, I did--I did say just that. I told you you'd jolly well better hear me out instead of being so infernally supercilious. Oh, I say, I'm sorry I said that, Maud; I'm--I'm sorry for you altogether." "You speak in enigmas, Val,"--but her laugh was a little forced; his earnestness and persistency told; and then there was "Paul's part"? "He is--but look here, you needn't mind what he is. Don't you take it to heart----" "I know what Paul is, thank you," haughtily. "That's just what you don't----" "Excuse me, Val----" "Excuse me, Maud----" "You are impertinent now, I shall listen no longer." "Listen no longer? You haven't even _begun_ to listen. Confound it, you shouldn't treat a fellow like this, when a fellow is doing all he can for you, and feels for you as--as I do. You know I've always been fond of you, Maud," softening, "and I've come to say that if you'll marry me instead----" "Have you gone crazy, Val?" But vanity whispered a flattering solution of the problem, and his ear detected an opening. To the same suggestion Leo had cried "Nonsense!" and although affronted at first, he had ultimately accepted the "Nonsense!" with philosophy,--but he had weapons in reserve now, and would soon show that he was not "crazy". No, damn it, he was not "crazy". The idea! With the rush of a torrent he told his tale.