"Well," said Pennell, "I reckon that's settled satisfactorily. I'll get out my invitation. In fact, I think, if I may be excused, I'll go and do it now." He got up and reached for his cap. They all laughed. "We'll see to it that there's mistletoe," cried Julie. "Ah, thanks!" said Pennell; "that will be jolly, though some people I know seem to get on well enough without it. So long. See you later, padre." He avoided Julie's flung cushion and stepped through the door. Miss Raynard got up. "We ought to get a move on too, my dear," she said to Julie. "Oh, not yet," protested Donovan. "Let's have some bridge. There are just four of us." "You can never have played bridge with Julie, Captain Donovan," said Miss Raynard. "She usually flings the cards at you half way through the rubber. And she never counts. The other night she played a diamond instead of a heart, when hearts were trumps, and she had the last and all the rest of the tricks in her hand." "Ah, well," said Donovan, "women are like that. They often mistake diamonds for hearts." "Jack," said Julie, "you're really clever. How do you do it? I had no idea. Does it hurt? But don't do it again; you might break something. Peter, you've been praised this evening, but you'd never think of that." "He would not," said Miss Raynard.... "Come on, Julie." Peter hesitated a second. Then he said: "You're going my way. May I see you home?" "Thanks," said Miss Raynard, and they all made a move. "It's deuced dark," said Donovan. "Here, let me. I'll go first with a candle so that you shan't miss the duck-boards." He passed out, Tommy Raynard after him. Peter stood back to let Julie pass, and as she did so she said: "You're very glum and very polite to-night, Solomon. What's the matter?" "Am I?" said Peter; "I didn't know it. And in any case Donovan is all right, isn't he?" He could have bitten his tongue out the next minute. She looked at him and then began to laugh silently, and, still laughing, went out before him. Peter followed miserably. At the gate Donovan said good-bye, and the three set out for the hospital. Miss Raynard walked between Peter and Julie, and did most of the talking, but the ground was rough and the path narrow, and it was not until they got on to the dock road that much could be said. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had," declared Miss Raynard. "I'm feeling positively done up. There was something on every afternoon and evening last week, and then Julie sits on my bed till daybreak, more or less, and smokes cigarettes. We've a bottle of benedictine, too, and it always goes to her head. The other night she did a Salome dance on the strength of it." "It was really fine," said Julie. "You ought to have seen me." "Till the towel slipped off: not then, I hope," said Tommy dryly. "I don't suppose he'd have minded--would you, Peter?" "Not a bit," said Peter cheerfully--"on the contrary."