"All right--it _is_ no use," he conceded; "they're at it again!" "You see you've gained nothing!" she replied triumphantly. She had instantly recognised that he was different, how much had happened. "I've gained some of the happiest days of my life." "Oh, that was not what you tried for!" "Indeed it was, and I got exactly what I wanted," said Guy Firminger. They were in the cool little drawing-room where the morning light was dim. Guy Firminger had a sunburnt appearance, as in England people returning from other countries are apt to have, and Mary thought he had never looked so well. It was odd, but it was noticeable, that he had grown much handsomer since he had become a personage. He paused a moment, smiling at her while her mysterious eyes rested on him, and then he added: "Nothing ever worked better. It's no use now--people see. But I've got a start. I wanted to turn round and look about, and I _have_ turned round and looked about. There are things I've escaped. I'm afraid you'll never understand how deeply I'm indebted to you." "Oh, it's all right!" said Mary Gosselin. There was another short silence, after which he went on: "I've come back sooner than I promised, but only to be strictly fair. I began to see that we couldn't hold out and that it was my duty to let you off. From that moment I was bound to put an end to your situation. I might have done so by letter, but that seemed scarcely decent. It's all I came back for, you know, and it's why I wired to you yesterday." Mary hesitated an instant, she reflected intensely. What had happened, what would happen, was that if she didn't take care the signal for the end of their little arrangement would not have appeared to come from herself. She particularly wished it not to come from anyone else, she had even a horror of that; so that after an instant she hastened to say: "I was on the very point of wiring to _you_--I was only waiting for your address." "Wiring to me?" He seemed rather blank. "To tell you that our absurd affair really, this time, can't go on another day--to put a complete stop to it." "Oh!" said Guy Firminger. "So it's all right." "You've always hated it!" Guy laughed; and his laugh sounded slightly foolish to the girl. "I found yesterday that I hated it more than ever." Lord Beaupré showed a quickened attention. "For what reason--yesterday?" "I would rather not tell you, please. Perhaps some time you'll find it out." He continued to look at her brightly and fixedly with his confused cheerfulness. Then he said with a vague, courteous alacrity: "I see, I see!" She had an impression that he didn't see; but it didn't matter, she was nervous and quite preferred that he shouldn't. They both got up, and in a moment he exclaimed: "Well, I'm intensely sorry it's over! It has been so charming."