Paul acquiesces. He has taken a great liking to Miss Seaton. 'Did you like the ball?' he asks. 'Oh, so much,' replies she, 'wasn't it lovely. I wish it could come all over again.' 'Do you?' he says. 'Well, perhaps not quite all,' she answers, blushing suddenly at the remembrance of her interview with Harkness. 'Which portion could you do without. The quarter of an hour before you ran into the shrubbery and nearly knocked me down?' 'Did I?' is the reply. 'Indeed you _did_,' says Ponsonby, laughing, 'and you looked so fierce I was afraid to go after you and fled in the opposite direction, leaving you to vent your wrath on Dalrymple whom I had just left.' 'I am very glad you did,' says Lippa, with a little conscious laugh. 'Two's company, three's none.' 'Yes,' replies Paul, quietly, and then a pause ensues. 'Oughtn't I to have said that?' asks Philippa, suddenly looking up into his face. 'Because--well ... you see, if you'd been there--now, if I tell you something, promise to keep it a secret,' this very persuasively and slipping her arm through his. 'On my word and honour,' Paul answers. 'Well, Mr Dalrymple asked me--to--marry him--there!' 'What, Jimmy!' exclaims Paul. 'I'm so glad; he's quite the nicest fellow I know. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.' 'Thank you,' says Lippa, simply. 'But you won't tell anybody, will you? Nobody knows, not even Mabel--' 'But, my dear child, why did you tell _me_, of all people first?' asks he. 'I had to tell somebody, and I know George couldn't keep anything from Mabel, or Mabel from him.' 'I hope you will be very happy, but look, Lady Dadford is beckoning to us--' 'What early birds you are,' says her ladyship. 'I needn't ask if you are the worse for last night's dissipation, for you don't look it, either of you--' 'I'm sure Philippa will say that it did her an immense amount of good,' replies Paul, with a wink at Lippa, which makes her tremble in her shoes as to what may be coming next. It has been arranged that the whole of the party should go for a picnic to a spot about five miles off. 'Just to get out of the way,' says Lord Dadford, 'while the house is being put straight again; sort yourselves, sort yourselves,' he adds, standing at the front door, surrounded by guests and vehicles. 'I reserve to myself the pleasure of driving Mrs Mankaster,' (the vicar's wife) for both he and his spouse, a portly lady, resplendent in stiff brown silk, have been invited to take part in the outing. By degrees the carriages are filled and off they go, Lippa finding to her chagrin that she is seated by Paul in a dog-cart, Jimmy and Lady Anne behind, Lord Helmdon is on in front with some other people. 'I'm sorry for you,' says Ponsonby, 'but if you wish your secret to be kept from the others, you must not be seen too much together.' Lippa sighs. 'So love-sick already,' says he laughing. 'How rude you are, I wasn't sighing a bit, I caught my breath.' 'Oh, I like that,' is the reply.