"Six feet," she repeated carelessly; "rowed stroke at Vassar; carried off the standing long jump, pole vault, and ten-mile swimming----" "This--this is terrible," murmured the young man, passing one gloved hand over his dampening brow. Then, with a desperate attempt at a smile, he leaned forward and said confidentially: "As a matter of fact, just between you and me, the Governor is an invalid." "Impossible!" she retorted, her clear blue eyes on his. "Alas! It is only too true. He's got a very, very rare disease," said the young man sadly. "Promise you won't tell?" "Y-yes," said the girl. Her face had lost some of its colour. "Then I will confide in you," said the young man impressively. "The Governor is threatened with a serious cardiac affection, known as Lamour's disease." She looked down, remained silent for a moment, then lifted her pure gaze to him. "Is that true--Captain Jones?" "As true as that I am his Military Secretary." Her features remained expressionless, but the colour came back as though the worst of the shock were over. "I see," she said seriously. "Professor Challis ought to know of this sad condition of affairs. I have heard of Lamour's disease." "Indeed, she ought to be told at once," he said, delighted. "You'll inform her, won't you?" "If you wish." "Thank you! _Thank_ you!" he said fervently. "You are certainly the most charmingly reasonable of your delightful sex. The Governor will be tremendously obliged to you----" "Is the Governor--are his--his affections--to use an obsolete expression--fixed upon any particular----" "Oh, no!" he said, smiling; "the Governor isn't in love--except--er--generally. He's a gay bird. The Governor never, in all his career, saw a single specimen of your sex which--well, which interested him as much--well, for example," he added in a burst of confidence, "as much even as you interest me!" "Which, of course, is not at all," she said, laughing. "Oh, no--no, not at all----" he hesitated, biting his moustache and looking at her. "I'll tell you one thing," he said; "if the Governor ever did get entirely well--er--recovered--you know what I mean?" "Cured of his cardiac trouble?--this disease known as Lamour's disease?" "Exactly. If he ever did recover, he--I'm quite sure he would be----" and here he hesitated, gazing at her in silence. As for her, she had turned her head and was gazing out of the window. "I wonder what your name is?" he said, so naively that the colour tinted even the tip of the small ear turned toward him. "My name," she said, "is Mary Smith. Like you, I am Militant Secretary to Professor Elizabeth Challis, President of the Federation of American Women." "I hope we will remain on pleasant terms," he ventured. "I hope so, Captain Jones." "Non-combatants?" "I trust so." "Even f-friends?" She bent her distractingly pretty head in acquiescence. "Then you'll give me back the papers?" "I'm sorry." "Sorry for taking them?" "No, sorry for keeping them."