EUSTASIA. Not too kind, darling. I love looking after you, and doing things for you, and taking care of you, and cosseting you. (_Thoughtfully to herself_) Leonard was _never_ ill. NICHOLAS. Leonard? EUSTASIA. My husband. NICHOLAS. Oh!... I’d never thought of him as Leonard. I prefer not to think about him. I’ve never seen him, and I don’t want to talk about him. EUSTASIA. No, darling. _I_ don’t want to either. NICHOLAS. We’ve taken the plunge and—(_bravely_) and we’re not going back on it. EUSTASIA (_surprised_). Darling! NICHOLAS. As a man of honour I—— Besides, you can’t go back now—I mean I took you away, and—— Well, here we are. (_With determination_) Here we are. EUSTASIA. Darling, you aren’t regretting? NICHOLAS (_hastily_). No, no! (_She takes out her handkerchief ominously._) No, no, no! (_She begins to sob._) _No! No!_ (_He is almost shouting._) Eustasia, listen! I love you! I’m _not_ regretting! I’ve _never_ been so happy! (_She is sobbing tumultuously._) So happy, Eustasia! I have never, never been so happy! _Can’t_ you hear? EUSTASIA (_throwing herself into his arms_). Darling! NICHOLAS. There, there! EUSTASIA (_drying her eyes_). Oh, Nicholas, you frightened me so! Just for a moment I was afraid you were regretting. NICHOLAS. No, no! EUSTASIA. How right Mr. Latimer was! NICHOLAS (_with conviction_). He was indeed. EUSTASIA. How little we really knew of each other when you asked me to come away with you! NICHOLAS. How little! EUSTASIA. But this week has shown us to each other as we really are. NICHOLAS. It has. EUSTASIA. And now I feel absolutely safe. We are ready to face the world together, Nicholas. (_She sighs and leans back happily in his arms._) NICHOLAS. Ready to face the world together. (_He has his pipe in his right hand, which is round her waist. Her eyes are closed, her left hand, encircling his neck, holds his left hand. He tries to bend his head down so as to get hold of his pipe with his teeth. Several times he tries and just misses it. Each time he pulls her a little closer to him, and she sighs happily. At last he gets hold of it. He leans back with a gasp of relief._) EUSTASIA (_still with her eyes closed_). What is it, darling? NICHOLAS. Nothing, Eustasia, nothing. Just happiness. (_But they are not to be alone with it for long, for MR. LATIMER comes in._) LATIMER. Good morning, my friends, good morning. (_They move apart and NICHOLAS jumps up._) NICHOLAS. Oh, good morning. EUSTASIA. Good morning. LATIMER. So you are leaving me this morning and going on your way? NICHOLAS (_without enthusiasm_). Yes. EUSTASIA. But we shall never forget this week, dear Mr. Latimer. LATIMER. You have forgiven me for asking you to wait a little so as to make sure? EUSTASIA. Oh, but you were so right! I was just saying so to Nicholas. Wasn’t I, Nicholas? NICHOLAS. Yes. About a minute ago. About two minutes ago. LATIMER. And so now you are sure of yourselves?