“In case you're still worried--what I told Mr. Billett was true. In the first place, Sargent would never believe me, anyway. In the second place it would mean breaking with Sargent--and do you know I'm rather fond of Sargent in my own way?--and a thing like that--well, you saw how he was tonight--it would mean more things like revolvers and I _hate_ revolvers. And hurting Sargent--and ruining Mr. Billett who is a genuinely nice boy and can't help being a Puritan, though I never shall forget the way he looked in those towels. Still, I'm rather fond of him too--oh, I'm perfectly unashamed about it, it's quite in an aunty way now and he'll never see me again if he can help it. “And making Sargent's daughter--who must be charming from what I hear of her--but charming or not, she happens to be a woman and I have a feeling that, being a woman, life will hurt her quite sufficiently without my adding my wholly vicarious share. Oh, I'm perfectly harmless now, Oliver,” she made a pretty gesture with her hands. “You and Sargent and the fire-escape between you have drawn my fangs.” “I can't exactly--thank you,” said Oliver, “but I do repeat--you're sporting.” “Never repeat a compliment to a woman over twenty and seldom then.” She looked at him reflectively. “The same woman, that is. There is such a great deal I could teach you though, really,” she said. “You're much more teachable than Mr. Billett, for instance,” and Oliver felt a little shudder of terror go through him for a moment at the way she said it. But she laughed again. “I shouldn't worry. And besides, you're blighted, aren't you?--and they're unteachable till they recover. Well. “Oh, yes, there was something else I meant to be serious about. Sargent said something about our--disappearing, and all that. Well, Sargent has always been enamored of puttering around a garden somewhere in an alias and old trousers with me to make him lemonade when he gets overheated--and so far I've humored him--but I've really never thought very much of the idea. That would be--for me--a particularly stupid way of going to seed.” She was wholly in earnest now. “And I haven't the slightest intention of going to seed with Sargent or anybody else for a very long time yet. If it ever comes definitely to that I shall break with Sargent; you can depend on my selfishness--arrogance--anything you like for that. Quite depend.