"Please!" said Richard--but what he really meant was "Thank you." Inside himself he was thinking "Damn that fellow Doran! Why the blazes didn't he tell me about all these girls." The sound of Auriole's voice brought him back to the necessity of the moment. "So _sans gene_," she was saying, "so innocent--so unworldly. I wonder what her views would be if she learnt you had entertained a lady in your flat at midnight." "As the lady came uninvited," Richard returned, "I am hardly likely to refer to the matter." "Suppose I referred to it--advertised the fact. Do you imagine she would marry you then?" Richard smiled. "I should say she'd be as likely to marry me then as she is now." "A girl brought up as she has been?" "Aha!" "You're very confident. Tony, there are people watching this flat to-night." "Dear, dear!" "People who will talk tomorrow morning." "What, the chatty-at-breakfast-kind. How dreadful." "If you wish to stop them, there is only one way." "Yes--tell me. Always believed they were incurable." Auriole shut her hands tight and spoke with difficulty. "Tony, I don't know how real your affections are for this girl, but I know this. If you refuse to answer our questions your chance of marrying her is worth--nothing. Understand? Nothing." And all at once Richard became serious. "Will that please you?" he asked. "Perhaps." "I don't think so. I don't think it will please you, really." "What do you mean?" "You're too good a sort to enjoy spreading rotten fables about people who are in love with one another." She echoed the words "too good a sort" rather faintly. "Yes. I suppose you--you're jealous or something--angry because my feelings have changed. I understand that--it's natural, and I don't defend myself, you know. It's natural you should want to hurt me, but aren't you choosing rather a rotten way of doing it, 'cos you're hurting an innocent girl into the bargain. It's way down below your form to side up with these men who are against me--isn't it, now? As a friend, I'd drop out of this deal--clean out--it--it's not up to your standard." "Why do you say this to me?" "Because I like you too well to associate you with----" "You like me?" "Yes." "Still?" "Not still," he answered, truthfully, "but now." She was silent for a long while, then she shook her head. "No good, Tony. It wouldn't make any difference if I dropped out. I know it's beastly, but that can't be helped. They mean to have their answer, whatever happens." "They've come to the wrong house to get it," said Richard and he folded his arms very heroically. "You refuse to speak?" "I do." "Mr. Van Diest would pay you--enormously." "Course he would." "Twenty per cent after exploitation and a million down." It was a staggering proposition, but Richard preserved his calm and remarked humorously: "I'll take it in copper, please."