"It's no dishonor to her not to be in love with Hugh," she pursued, evenly. "She may have thought she was once; but what girl hasn't thought she was in love a dozen times? A fine day in April will make any one think it's summer already; but when June comes they know the difference. It was April when Hugh asked her; and now it's June. I'll confess for her. She is in love with--" "Please!" I broke in. She gave me another surprise. "Do run and get me my fan. It's over by Mildred. There's a love!" I had to do her bidding. The picture of the room stamped itself on my brain, though I didn't think of it at the time. It seemed rather empty. Jack had retired to one window, where he was smoking a cigarette; Pauline was at another, looking out at the moonlight on the water. Mrs. Billing sat enthroned in the middle, taking a subordinate place for once. Mrs. Brokenshire was on the sofa by the wall. The murmur of Ethel's voice, but no words, reached me as I stooped beside Mildred's couch to pick up the fan. The invalid took my hand. Her voice had the deep, low murmur of the sea. "You must forgive my father." "I do," I was able to say. "I--I like him in spite of everything--" "And as for my brother, you'll remember what we agreed upon once--that where we can't give all, our first consideration must be the value of what we withhold." I thanked her and went back with the fan. As I passed Mrs. Billing she snapped at me, with the enigmatic words: "You're a puss!" When I drew near to the group by the fireplace, Mrs. Rossiter was saying to Hugh: "And as for her marrying you for your money--well, you're crazy! I suppose she likes money as well as anybody else; but she would have married you to be loyal. She would have married you two months ago if father had been willing; and if you'd been willing you could now have been in England or France together, trying to do some good. If a woman marries one man when she's in love with another the right or the wrong depends on her motives. Who knows but what I may have done it myself? I don't say I haven't. And so--" But I had taken off the ring on my way across the room. Having returned the fan to Ethel, I went up to Hugh, who looked round at me over his shoulder. "Hugh, darling," I said, very softly, "I feel that I ought to give you back this." He put out his hand mechanically, not thinking of what I was about to offer. On seeing it he drew back his hand quickly, and the ring dropped on the floor. I can hear it still, rolling with a little rattle among the fire-irons.