"That's quite a neat suggestion," said Tony, smiling an "indulge-the-poor-child" smile which made me want to box his ears--though not hard. "I don't think you need be afraid, though," he hurried on, to calm me. "Vandyke won't openly accuse March of anything more, I guess, unless in the bosom of his family where it won't do much harm. If he dealt out any 'plot' talk of that sort, he'd make himself a laughing-stock, and he wouldn't stand for that. He'll just try to forget the whole business, and help other folks to forget--cut it out." "It will be better for him!" I said, as fiercely as a small dog growling in the kennel of a big one. "But Di and Sidney, too, both accuse _me_ of being in the 'plot.' They say I knew Eagle was in England, and secretly invited him to the wedding. I haven't even heard from him since we came back from America." "Haven't you?" Tony's face brightened. "Well, I shall never cease wondering what brought March to the church, till I know--which may be never. Unless you tell me when you hear." "_If_ I hear!" "I guess you're sure to sooner or later. He must know now that he was recognized. No use hiding his head in the sand! He'll want to explain why he--er--well, sort of intruded." "No, he wouldn't need to explain," I reiterated. "What's the use of friendship, if it doesn't understand and take things for granted? And--if Eagle never writes, I shall know he doesn't want me to seek him. So I won't do that, even though he has been hurt for us, and maybe is suffering." "You're a soldier," Tony complimented me. "March would be just the man to appreciate that if he could hear you now." "I believe he would understand me as I understand him," I said. "Still it is hard not to know if he's badly hurt." "By the way he shot through the crowd like a streak of greased lightning, I should say it wasn't fatal," Tony cheered me. "But if you'd like to have me do a bit of secret service work and 'phone to a few hotels or hospitals----" I shook my head decidedly. "I know the hotel where he goes," I said. "I shan't send. I think if he were very badly wounded, he _would_ let me know. He'd trust me to stand between him and--the others. Now--let's go and see Di cut her wedding cake. You can have a piece to dream on if you like." "No good!" said Tony. "I always dream of you anyhow, when I dream at all--except when I eat welsh rabbit: then I dream of the devil." But he went with me like a lamb, and we spoke no more of Captain March. CHAPTER XVI I think if Sidney Vandyke had never taken the trouble actually to hate me, he exerted himself to that extent on his wedding day.