A finger of moonlight lying across the floor, showed Lavinia in white frock and cloak, standing by the bed. "Mother," she said urgently, "I'm so sorry for what I said; I'm glad now that I went, terribly glad." Edith's sensibilities were fully roused by the deep, excited note in Lavinia's voice. "Your father's asleep," she whispered. "I'll slip out and come up to your room for a minute or two." Lavinia stole quietly away, and Edith followed her up to her own bedroom where she found her sitting on the bed in the dark. "Don't put the light on, Mother," she said. "I'd rather talk in the dark, and there's a lovely moon. You sit down in my chair and I'll curl up on the bed." "Lavinia dear," said Edith, "I've had a most miserable evening. You hurt me very cruelly; I almost began to feel I had failed with you." "I know, Mother; I'm so sorry." Lavinia's voice was dreamy. "I didn't really mean it, and it all seems years ago anyhow. It was wonderful to-night at the dance. There was a man there--" She stopped, "his name was Martin Peile," she added in a whisper. "My dearest," began Edith, but Lavinia's soft voice hurried on. "Lady Olivia introduced him to me at the very beginning; there were programmes, and he asked for the third dance, and then after that we didn't dance with anyone else; we sat out together in the little garden. It wasn't very cold, and then at the end we danced again together. I've fallen in love with him, and he has, too, with me." She leaned forward and caught her mother's hand. "Isn't it lucky he did," she said fervently. "I couldn't have borne to live another week if he hadn't." "Lavinia, what are you telling me? My brain's reeling. Do you mean what you say?" "Oh I know it's fearfully sudden. I didn't mean to fall in love for years and years. I know I'm only nineteen and it must be a shock to you and all that, but Mother, it really has happened; I'm engaged to him." "You can't be engaged," said Edith, utterly bewildered. "Who is he? We don't know him or anything about him. You're quite wild and unlike yourself Lavinia, my child." "I know I am; I've never been in love before, you see." "But really darling, you're going much too fast. Things can't be done all in a hurry like this." Lavinia did not seem to hear. "It's too amazing," she said. "Mother, I'll never be able to thank you enough for sending me to the dance. I might easily never have met him. It's terrible to think I might have gone on for years and never known Martin. He says so too. He says we'll never be able to be grateful enough to you. I told him how dreadful I'd been, and he is longing to meet you. In fact he's coming to-morrow morning. But really Mother, I do thank you." Shattered as she was by the thought of the stranger who had so suddenly entered Lavinia's life and so entirely absorbed it, Edith nevertheless tasted to the full the sweetness of her child's gratitude.