"I'll go round to the 'Crown,'" continued Lottie more briskly, "first thing to-morrow morning. Jim Lister will get me a shop of some sort, if it's only in the chorus. That'll do to go on with." "He must be a good chap," said Pip. "He is," said Lottie warmly. Presently they reached the little station. Inquiries elicited the news that there would be a train for London in half an hour. "I'll stay with you till it starts," said Pip. He ran the car under a wall out of the wind, and continued talking. He was in an unusually communicative mood, for him. "I was wondering," he said, "why your feelings changed so suddenly in that interview, after you had quite made up your mind to--for the other thing." "Don't know, I'm sure," said Lottie. "I can't think now what made me agree to the idea, even for a moment. Jack, would you have thought _very_ badly of me if--" "I think I know what it was," continued Pip, who had been following his own train of thought; "you must have been kee--fond of somebody else all the time, fonder than you really knew, and when the critical moment came, the thought of--of him, though you didn't know it, prevented you from making yourself cheap. Is that it? Don't answer if it isn't a fair question." "Yes, Jack, it's a fair question." "And am I right?" There was a silence. Pip saw a rather strange look settle on the girl's face. Presently she answered, in a low voice,-- "I believe you are." "Then why not--go to him?" "Perhaps--perhaps he doesn't want me." "Are you sure? Is it Jim Lister?" "No. He's a good boy, but it's not him." "Ah! That's a pity." Another pause. Lottie sat very still. She understood now why the idea of marrying the Honourable had become suddenly repugnant to her. The reason was sitting beside her, wondering what the reason could be. Lottie excelled in woman's favourite pastime--playing with fire--but this time she had burnt her fingers. Pip talked to her a good deal during the next half-hour. Once he said,-- "I wonder what made you confide in me about all this. I expect it was because you spotted that I was a kindred spirit--in the same state as yourself." "What state?" "In love," said Pip simply. "In love? Who with?" asked Lottie, ungrammatically but earnestly. "I'll tell you if you like," said Pip. He launched into a description of Elsie, reciting his hopes and fears with all the complete _abandon_ of the reticent man when once he lets himself go. "It isn't often," he concluded, descending to earth again, "that I reveal my feelings to anybody. But I suppose things are rather out of the common to-day." "Does she care for you?" "I don't see how she possibly can," said Pip, with absolute sincerity. "But I'm going to ask her for all that." "When?" "As soon as I get on my legs again--financially." "Ah, but when will that be? Debts are awful millstones, Jack." "Debts? What? Oh, I forgot. Well, they are off." "How?"