There was a long pause. "It's disappointing, somehow," said Mackenzie. "I suppose I mustn't ask questions, but there are a lot I'd like to ask." "Oh, ask away. When the ice is once broken one can talk. It does one good to talk sometimes." "Women talk to each other about their love affairs. Men don't--not the real ones--except on occasions." "Well, we'll let this be an occasion, as you have started the subject." He laughed lightly. "You've got a sort of power, Mackenzie. If any one had told me yesterday that I should be talking to you to-night about a thing I haven't mentioned to a soul for five years--except once or twice to Walter Clinton--I should have stared at them. I'm not generally supposed to be communicative." "It's impersonal," said Mackenzie, "like telling things to a priest. I'm not in the same world as you. Five years, is it? Well, now, what on earth have you been doing ever since? She's not too young to marry now." "No. I was at Oxford a year after what I told you of. Then I went for a year to learn estate management on my uncle's property. When I came home I thought I would fix it up with my father--he was alive then. He said, wait a year longer. He was beginning to get ill, and I suppose he didn't want to face the worry of making arrangements till he got better. But he never got better, and within a year he died." "And then you were your own master. That's two years ago, isn't it? And here you are coming back from a year's trip round the world. You seem to be pretty slow about things." "One doesn't become one's own master immediately one succeeds to the ownership of land. These death duties have altered all that. I shan't be free for another year. Then I hope you will come to my wedding, Mackenzie." "Thanks. Didn't the young lady object to keeping it all hanging on for so long?" Jim did not reply for a moment. Then he said a little stiffly, "I wrote to her from Oxford when I had thought things over. I thought it wasn't fair to tie her up before I was ready to marry, and she so young." "And that means that you have never allowed yourself to make love to her since." "Yes, it means that." "And yet you have been in love with her all the time?" "Yes." "Well, it shows a greater amount of self-control than most people possess--certainly a good deal more than I possess, I suppose you are sure of her." Jim did not reply to this, but he said presently, "If it wasn't for the death duties I should have hoped to be married before this." "I'll tell you what I don't understand," said Mackenzie. "I suppose you live in much the same way as your father did before you." "Yes. My mother lives with me, and my sister." "Well, surely you _could_ get married if you wanted to. You've got your house and everything, even if there isn't quite so much money to spend for a bit. And as for ready money--it doesn't cost nothing to travel for a year as you're doing."