He stared. “Not going to Paris?” he repeated. “Where are you going?” “Nowhere, for the present. I am going to stay here in Harniss.... Wait! Please wait, and I’ll tell you all about it.” She told him of the letter from Mrs. Carter and her uncle’s decision that the European trip must be postponed. He would have interrupted a half dozen times, but she begged him not to. “So you see, Bob,” she said, in conclusion, “you and I won’t meet over there as soon as we expected. I can’t go now, although perhaps some day I shall. I am glad you are going. I am awfully glad of that.” He had risen and was standing before her. His lips were set and he was frowning. Now he laughed scornfully. “Esther,” he protested, “don’t! Don’t be silly. You can’t really think I would go if you didn’t.” “Why, of course I do. You must go. Certainly you are going.” “Certainly I am not. Huh! I should say not! If you don’t go neither do I. If they make you wait I’ll wait, too.” “Bob! Oh, please, Bob, be reasonable. Think of what it means to you. Your chance to study, to go on with your painting, to get ahead in the world! Do you suppose I shall let you give up your opportunity just because mine is postponed for a while? Did you think me as selfish as that?” He shook his head. “You bet I don’t go!” he muttered. “Indeed I don’t! They don’t get me away from you as easily as that comes to.” “Bob!... What do you mean by that? No one is trying to get you away from me.” Again he laughed. “Oh, Esther,” he said, impatiently, “don’t let’s pretend. You know what this means as well as I do. It is as plain as print. Captain Townsend--” “It isn’t his fault. It is Mrs. Carter who can’t go. That is the reason.” “Esther! Can’t you _see_? Oh, but of course you do! This Mrs. Carter is doing what your uncle has told her to do. She has called it off, trumped up the excuse, because he ordered her to do it.” “Bob!” sharply. “Stop! You mustn’t say such things. You know they aren’t true. Why, it was Uncle Foster who persuaded Mrs. Carter to go, in the first place.” “Yes, and now he has ordered her not to. Bah!” with an angry wave of the hand, “it is as plain as if it was painted on the wall. He doesn’t want me coming here to see you; he never did.” “Then why did he let you come at all?” “I don’t know--unless it was because he thought we might be seeing each other somewhere else anyhow, and he could keep an eye on us as long as we were in his house.” “Bob! If you say another word like that I shall go away and leave you. Uncle Foster knows that he doesn’t need to keep an eye on me. He trusts me absolutely.” She was indignant, but he was angry and sure of the correctness of his suspicions.