Somehow, the word "us" sounded curiously personal. She raised her eyes to his, and there were tears in them. The flush had spread over her whole face and to the very roots of her dark-yellow hair. He had never seen her so before. She had always been so capable, so crisp, so cool--and now she was so--young, and pathetic almost. He had a strange inclination to reach over and put his arm along the back of her chair. And then she gave him a funny, teary little smile. "That's--just--it. _One_ of us--isn't _enough_--for _me_!" Something blurred Professor Hooker's sight. There was a roaring in his ears like that of a thousand pine trees in a gale. "How do you mean?" he heard himself asking, in a weirdly conventional tone, although he knew what she meant all the time, and the knowledge seemed to be swelling him up like a balloon. Indeed, he felt as if he was just coming out of a dose of laughing-gas--inflated and very much excited and irresponsible. The next instant, he was kneeling on the tiles in front of her; those tailor-made arms were around his neck, and his face was pressed up against the tan jacket, and her hair was tickling his ears. "You funny little man!" she was saying, in a trembly voice. "You funny, silly little man! I won't _let_ you go without me." And Bennie answered--he could feel her heart beating through the tan military jacket: "Silly little thing yourself! Do you think I'd let you take a chance like that _now_--dear?" "You must!" "I won't!" He raised his head and drew down her face to his. "I simply--simply--w-won't!" "Rhoda! Where are you?" Mrs. Tassifer's acrid voice echoed through the Ring from the control-room. Bennie scrambled to his feet and hastily lit his pipe. "Yes, auntie!" she called back sweetly, with a whimsical glance at Bennie. "I'm in here looking at the electric stove--such a funny little thing!" III