Twice, thrice round the room they moved, the woman who had refused me yesterday and would not be denied him to-morrow, the girl who had glowed with angry compassion for me and knew in her feminine heart that that smiling partner had not offered to fetch a bicycle from St Briac that morning without having a reason for it.... "A penny for them, George," Madge's voice suddenly sounded at my side. "Eh? I was only thinking of those two." "Julia and Jennie? I'm glad Jennie's come round and is behaving with something like ordinary decency again.... And by the way, that about that bicycle of Jennie's is a funnier mix-up than ever now." "How so?" "Well, Julia saw young Arnaud this morning. Rather a difficult position for her, and I can't imagine why she offered to go, seeing she'd never set eyes on the young man in her life. But she seems to have done the best thing possible." "What was that?" "She never once mentioned Jennie's name. She simply said that she understood that a bicycle was to be fetched back to Ker Annic, and as she was coming out that way she'd said she'd call for it. It seems to have been quite all right. He didn't ask any questions either; he got it out and put it on the tram for her himself." "The same tram? She came straight back?" (I may say that there is only one tram to St Briac, which runs backwards and forwards). "No, the next journey. It had gone, so she had to wait. She tried to ride the bicycle, but couldn't quite manage it. So he showed her his pictures, as he did to us." "Before she went to the Golf Club, or after?" "She didn't say." "And he didn't even ask why the bicycle had been sent for?" "Not a word about it. He just put it on the tram." I can't say I much liked the look of this. I remembered how he had formerly bamboozled me. "Then he simply accepts the situation?" I said. "Whatever it is, apparently." "What do you mean by that?" "Well, that's the funny part. What _is_ the situation? You see, Arnaud's knowing you complicates it. If he hadn't known you I expect Alec would have sent him about his business at the double. Not that you're to blame in any way; it's nothing at all to do with you. But then is Jennie to blame either for falling in love with the delicious creature? I told Alec so. Oh, we had a lively hour yesterday while you and Julia were out bathing and walking and enjoying yourselves! Alec blustered, and he wouldn't have this and he wouldn't have that, but I asked him, 'Where was the harm if the young man came round in a straightforward way and took his chance with the others?' 'I don't call this straightforward,' he said; and of course I could hardly say it was, but we've all been young once. Anyway, the long and the short of it was that there's to be no more bicycle-riding, but he hasn't forbidden her to see him provided everything's above-board and we're told about it." "Was that a concession for my sake?"