Dane laughed. 'It will not save you from the consequences,' he said; 'however—' Hazel raised her brows a little. 'You are forewarned,' she said. 'Then probably you will wish to accept all these invitations?' 'I do not precisely catch the connection of the argument.' 'I thought you seemed to be pining for variety,' she said with a laugh. 'So I propose, for to-morrow and next day and the day after,—a breakfast, a wedding, three kettledrums, a dinner, two receptions, and a ball.' 'Abgeschlagen—' responded Dane, going on with his dinner. 'Which?' 'It would not do to be particular.' 'But you must choose,' said Hazel. 'Or I must.' 'Are you pining for variety?' 'No, I have got it.' This with a half laugh and a pretty flush. 'I am content,' said Dane. 'Then, if you are content, I do not see what we want further.' 'But it is other people who want us just now.' And Hazel looked over to her pile of invitations. 'Unfortunate for them.' 'Is it? You will refuse them all? Do you mean that you would never go anywhere?' 'I do not mean that at all. I am longing to take you to Europe.' 'Yes, but keep to the point.' 'Wait till after dinner, then,' said he laughing. So they waited; and when the servant had ended his ministrations and gone, Dane took a position of ease beside Wych Hazel on the sofa, and gathered up the notes in his hand. 'Now, Wych, what is the question here?' 'Why, as of course—of course I should not go anywhere now without you, I must know first where you will go,' said Hazel with one of her pretty shy looks. 'And as some occasions demand— But I am in inextricable confusion about my dress!'—she said, breaking off with a laugh. 'I may as well confess it at once.' 'Does my bird of paradise want room to spread her wings?' said he, looking in her face. 'And shew herself? No, I have done enough of that.' 'If we keep the key-note of life's music clear and true, we shall find the chords, Wych. How are you in confusion?' ' "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light," ' she answered thoughtfully. 'But do you know, light is very confusing sometimes?' 'No.' 'Yes, it is. When I did not care what I did, I knew exactly what to do.' 'What is it you are in doubt about now?' 'Everything. Ought I to refuse all invitations, and wear grey serge? But the reverse of wrong is not right.'