“I am sorry for Guy. He is a good chap. But you can’t blame me for Guy.” “And your father? He has set his heart upon your marrying Guy. You know he talked the matter over with Sir Stephen. Why, Peg, they all think it is settled, and you allowed them to think so.” “Perhaps I did. And I am sorry for that. But you see, I didn’t quite know about Paul—oh, I ought to have known. But you all said he would never come back. Father said so. Poor Father! I _am_ sorry for him.” “Do you mean to tell me, Peggy, that you are deliberately throwing over Guy for this——” Her mother paused, breathless. “For Paul? I am not throwing over Guy. I never accepted Guy, whatever you and Father may have done or understood.” “And you mean to marry this boy, with all his horrid connections?” “Mamma,” cried Peg, “if Paul asks me to marry him I will. I would take on the whole lot of them if Paul would ask me.” “You shameless girl!” exclaimed her mother, in a fury of contempt. “Of course, he hasn’t asked me. You see, Adelina told him I was engaged to Guy—I got that out of her. And he, poor boy!—you know his queer notions of honour and conscience and all that sort of thing—it would be like him to go off without a word, even if he broke his heart over it.” Her mother sniffed audibly and contemptuously. “But I won’t let him,” continued Peg joyously. “Do you think I could do that, now that I know he loves me? Oh, he is a silly boy! I know he meant to come here tonight and play the noble, self-controlled, high-minded gentleman, see me taken up with Guy, and, making no sign, then go away, and that sort of stuff that all the silly men do in books. But the moment he looked at me he forgot himself, forgot everything but me. His eyes, his dear blue-grey eyes, told me everything. That’s why I kissed him, Mamma. How could I help it? And now he is bracing himself up to go away without a word. And he will if I let him. But I’m not going to let him go. I’m going to let him ask me—make him ask me—oh, Mamma, I am shameless, but I am happy, so happy, happy, my heart is just bursting, mad with joy! For Paul is the only man in the world I have ever loved or can love.”