"Mere caprice, then?" asked Marion, watching him closely. "No, not that." "I suppose your motives are a secret?" Marion laughed a little, perhaps at her own curiosity. "Yes." Brett pronounced the single word with great earnestness. "Dear me!" exclaimed Marion. "Yes. And I shall be very sorry if you ever find out what that secret is." "How mysterious!" "Yes, is it not?" Brett had suddenly assumed a tone of indifference. As he spoke Vanbrugh and Dolly rose and came forwards towards the table. "If you have quite finished not looking at those photographs, give them to me, Brett," said Vanbrugh. "Miss Maylands wishes to see them." "Oh, take them by all means," answered Brett, thrusting a dozen or more into his hands. "As I was saying, Mrs. Darche, I am the worst judge of architecture in the world--especially from photographs." "Architecture, eh?" observed Vanbrugh, as he re-crossed the room with Dolly. "Rather hard on photographs of etchings from portraits." "Oh, no!" exclaimed Dolly, laughing softly and looking back at Brett and Mrs. Darche. "They talk of love's temple, you know, and building up one's happiness--and lots of things of that sort--the architecture of the affections." "You seem to care," said Vanbrugh, sitting down and laying the photographs upon his knees. "Do I? Do you not?" "I--oh, well, in a sort of a fatherly way, I suppose." He held up one of the photographs upside down and looked at it. "Yes. Now I care in a sort of a sisterly way, you know. It is very much the same thing, I fancy." "Is that all?" asked Vanbrugh with a short laugh. "I thought you had made up your mind." "About what?" "About Harry Brett." Dolly looked at him in surprise and drew herself up a little stiffly. "What about him?" "I do not mean to be rude, nor inquisitive, nor anything of the sort--so I think I had better turn the conversation." "But you do not. You are waiting for me to say something. Do you think I am afraid? Do you think I am like all the girls you meet and dance with, and repeat your pretty speeches to?" "Repeat is graceful," said Vanbrugh, "considerate--so kind of you." "I do not feel kind," answered Dolly emphatically, "and I am not at all afraid of telling the truth." "Considering your interest in Sunday schools that is what I should expect." "I am just as fond of dancing and enjoying myself as any one else," said Dolly, relenting, "though I do take an interest in Sunday schools." "Fashionable charities and dissipations, as Brett calls them--I see." "Do not see in that tone of voice, please--if what you see has anything to do with me." "Which it has," said Vanbrugh. "Mrs. Darche is one of your charities, I suppose--and Harry Brett is one of your dissipations." "You are too complicated," answered Dolly, really not understanding. "Say it in American, will you not?"