I hastened to explain. "No, no, my darling, you mustn't think that. You will be doing them both a grave injustice if you do. I asked for their advice, they would never have offered it otherwise." "I can't see that it was any business of theirs." "But of course it was," I urged; I could not bear for there to be any misunderstanding between Fay and Annabel. "Don't you see, sweetheart, that it was certainly Arthur's business, because your father appointed him your guardian? And Annabel has been more than a sister--almost more than a mother--to me, so that everything which concerns me is her business _par excellence_." "I see," said Fay. But somehow--I do not know why--a cloud seemed to have come over the full sunshine of our new happiness. "And they were right," I continued in further exculpation of the two who, next to Fay, were dearest to me in the world. "It is owing to their advice that I have dared to ask you to marry me. Otherwise I shouldn't have felt I was worthy to ask such a thing." "Well, you haven't asked it--at least, not in my hearing," laughed Fay, the sunshine breaking out once more after the passing cloud. "Dearest, will you marry me?" Fay's answer was characteristic. "Miss Wildacre begs to thank Sir Reginald Kingsnorth for his kind invitation, and has much pleasure in accepting it. Oh no, that wasn't quite right. Miss Wildacre begs to thank Sir Reginald and Miss Kingsnorth for their kind invitation, and has much pleasure in accepting it. That is better." It pleased me to find her coupling my sister's name with mine in this fashion, and I approved her amendment. I wanted her to recognise how much my marriage meant to Annabel. I sealed our compact with a kiss. "I believe you really love me," said Fay. "_Rather_! But I am afraid it is 'Love among the Ruins,' sweetheart: the ruins being represented by Arthur and Annabel and myself." Fay ran her fingers through my still bushy hair. "Not ruins--not exactly ruins, my Reggie: say rather ancient monuments in the most perfect state of preservation." And that was all the comfort she would give me--at least, just then. But after some further conversation, with no reporter present, she looked up into my face and said: "So Love has performed the miracle after all which you said could never be performed again. Love has made us one at last, and has set the dial ten degrees backward. There is nothing between us now, Reggie--not even those tiresome ten degrees." CHAPTER IX THINGS GREAT AND SMALL The time of our engagement was a very happy time for me. It was so heavenly to be continually with Fay, and not to feel myself bound in honour to dissemble my love. And the more I saw of her the more devotedly I loved her. Surely there never was anybody so gay and loving and light-hearted as she.