"With Marion, for instance," said Dolly. "With Mrs. Darche?" Vanbrugh's voice expressed genuine astonishment. "What an extraordinary idea! As though Brett were not my best friend!" "What of that?" "Oh, do not pretend that you do not understand--especially to-day, when they are both so unhappy--you will do something that will hurt them if you are not careful." "I wonder--" Dolly did not complete the sentence, but turned away as though leaving it to him. "I know. So you must not talk of my flirting with Mrs. Darche. It is not just to her nor kind to me--and you do not mean to be unkind to me, do you?" "To you--of all people!" Her voice was very gentle. "Of all people in the world, dear?" "Yes--I think so--of all people." She nodded slowly, and then looked up and let her eyes meet his. "You think so--you are not quite sure?" asked Vanbrugh, although there was no longer any doubt. "I am always sure of what I think." Dolly smiled, still looking at him. "And this is not play any more? This is quite earnest?" "Quite--quite--" While she was speaking his face was suddenly close to hers and his lips touched her cheek. "Oh!--I did not mean--" "I did," said Vanbrugh emphatically. "I see you did," answered Dolly, blushing scarlet. "Will you not see again--" He leaned towards her again. "Oh, no! Not on any account!" she cried, pushing him away and laughing. "Besides"--the handle of the door turned as she was speaking--"there are people coming. Oh--I can feel it!" she whispered, rising precipitately with her hands to her cheek. "But I am so happy!" she added, with one more look as she broke from him. Dolly whispered the last words as Mrs. Willoughby re-entered the room, and Vanbrugh rose to his feet, hardly realising that the crisis of his life had been reached with a laugh and a kiss, but quite as happy as Dolly herself in his thoroughly undemonstrative way. Both were, perhaps, a little ashamed of themselves when they remembered Marion Darche's trouble, and contrasted her anxiety with their own visions of a sunny future; and both felt all at once that they were out of place; if they could not be together without a third person, they wished to be alone. "I do not really believe that anything will happen," said Vanbrugh, speaking to Mrs. Willoughby. "I do not believe either, that this man is Mrs. Darche's husband, for there is every reason to be sure that John Darche was actually drowned. But in case anything should happen, pray send for me at once. I shall be at home and shall not go out this evening. Good-night, Miss Maylands." "I am going, too," said Dolly, rather suddenly. "Do you think," she added, turning to Mrs. Willoughby, "that it would be very dreadful if Mr. Vanbrugh took me as far as the corner?" "What is there dreadful in it?" asked Mrs. Willoughby, who was old-fashioned and remembered the times when young men used to take young girls to parties, and walked home with them unchaperoned.