And he ate eggs stolidly wondering what her next move would be. It was one that surprised him. For she leaned towards him and said in a perfectly new voice: "Couldn't you get Franz to move you a little more this way? One can't shout across these acres of tablecloth, and I've heaps of things to tell you." He moved nearer, and once again he wronged Betty by a mental shrinking. Was she really going to own that she had resented the news of his engagement? She was really hopeless. He began to bristle defensively. [Illustration: "'Ah, don't be cross!' she said"] "Anything you care to tell me will of course be of the greatest possible interest," he was beginning, but Betty interrupted him. "_Ah, don't be cross_!" she said. "I know I was perfectly horrid yesterday, but I own I was rather hurt." "Hold back," he adjured her, inwardly, "for Heaven's sake, hold back!" "You see," she went on, "you and I were such good friends--you'd been so kind--and you told me--you talked to me about things you didn't talk of to other people,--and when I thought you'd told my step-father a secret of yours that you'd never told me, of course I felt hurt--anyone would have." "I see," said he, beginning to. "Of course I never dreamed that he'd lied, and even now I don't see--" Then suddenly she did see and crimsoned again. "He didn't lie," said Vernon carefully, "it was I. But I would never have told him anything that I wouldn't have told you--nor half that I did tell you." The waiter handed pale meat. "Yes, the scenery in Brittany is most charming; I did some good work there. The people are so primitive and delightful too." The waiter withdrew, and Betty said: "How do you mean--he didn't lie?" "The fact is," said Vernon, "he--he did not understand our friendship in the least. I imagine friendship was not invented when he was young. It's a tiresome subject, Miss Desmond; let's drop it--shall we?" "If you like," said she, chilly as December. "Oh, well then, just let me say it was done for your sake, Miss Desmond. He had no idea that two people should have any interests in common except--except matters of the heart, and the shortest way to convince him was to tell him that my heart was elsewhere. I don't like lies, but there are some people who insist on lies--nothing else will convince them of the truth. Here comes some abhorrent preparation of rice. How goes it with art?" "I have been working very hard," she said, "but every day I seem to know less and less." "Oh, that's all right! It's only that every day one knows more and more--of how little one does know. You'll have to pass many milestones before you pass out of that state. Do they always feed you like this here?" "Some days it's custard," said Betty, "but we've only been here a week." "We're friends again now, aren't we?" he questioned suddenly. "Yes--oh, yes!"