He did not reply at once, and then spoke slowly. "There seemed so many possibilities," he said. "Yes; I thought it possible that you might be--what you are." It was as he said this that there returned to his mind the thought which had occupied it before her entrance. He had been thinking then of something he wished to tell her, before she heard it from other quarters, and which he felt he could tell her at no more fitting time than when they were alone. It was something relating to Laurence Arbuthnot, and, curiously enough, she paved the way for it by mentioning him herself. "Did you say Laurence was here to-night?" she asked. "Yes," he replied, "he was so good as to dine with me." "He would say that you were so good as to invite him," she said. "He is very fond of coming here." "I should miss him very much," he returned, "if he should go away." She looked up quickly, attracted by his manner. "But there is no likelihood of his going away," she said. "I think," he answered, "that there may be, and I wished to speak to you about it." He refrained from looking at her; he even delicately withdrew his hand, so that if hers should lose its steadiness he might be unconscious of it. "Go away!" she exclaimed,--"from Washington? Laurence! Why should you think so? I cannot imagine such a thing." "He does not imagine it himself yet," he replied. "_I_ am going to suggest it to him." Her hand was still upon his knee, and he felt her start. "You are!" she said; "why and how? Do you think he will go? I do not believe he will." "I am not sure that he will," he answered, "but I hope so; and what I mean is that I think it may be possible to send him abroad." She withdrew her hand from his knee. "He won't go," she said; "I am sure of it." He went on to explain himself, still not looking at her. "He is wasting his abilities," he said; "he is wasting his youth; the position he is in is absurdly insignificant; it occurred to me that if I used, with right effect, the little influence I possess, there might finally be obtained for him some position abroad, which would be at least something better, and might possibly open a way for him in the future. I spoke to the Secretary of State about it, and he was very kind, and appeared interested. It seems very possible, even probable, that my hopes will be realized." For a few seconds she sat still; then she said, abstractedly: "It would be very strange to be obliged to live our lives without Laurence; they would not be the same lives at all. Still, I suppose it would be best for him; but it would be hard to live without Laurence. I don't like to think of it." In spite of his intention not to do so, he found himself turning to look at her. There had been surprise in her voice, and now there was sadness, but there was no agitation, no uncontrollable emotion. "Can it be," he thought, "that she is getting over it? What does it mean?" She turned and met his eyes.