“Not when you know her.”

“Lily knows her and is bitterly opposed to her—­”

“What!” he exclaimed, astounded.  “You say that my sister knows Valerie
West?”

“I—­forgot,” faltered his mother; “I ought not to have said anything.”

“Where did Lily meet her?” he asked, bewildered.

“Don’t ask me, Louis.  I should not have spoken—­”

“Yes, you should have!  It is my affair; it concerns me—­and it concerns Valerie—­her future and mine—­our happiness.  Where did Lily meet her?”

“You must ask that of Lily.  I cannot and will not discuss it.  I will say only this:  I have seen the—­this Miss West.  She is at present a guest at the villa of a—­countess—­of whom neither your father nor I ever before heard—­and whom even Lily knows so slightly that she scarcely bows to her.  And yesterday, while motoring, we met them driving on the Estwich road and your sister told us who they were.”

After a moment he said slowly:  “So you have actually seen the girl I am in love with?”

“I saw—­Miss West.”

“Can’t you understand that I am in love with her?”

“Even if you are it is better for you to conquer your inclination—­”

“Why?”

“Because all your life long you will regret such a marriage.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody will care to receive a woman for whom you can make no explanation—­even if you are married to her.”

He kept his patience.

“Will you receive her, mother?”

She closed her eyes, drew a quick, painful breath:  “My son’s wife—­whoever she may be—­will meet with no discourtesy under my roof.”

“Is that the best you can offer us?”

“Louis!  Louis!—­if it lay only with me—­I would do what you wished—­even this—­if it made you happy—­”

He took her in his arms and kissed her in silence.

“You don’t understand,” she said,—­“it is not I—­it is the family—­our entire little world against her.  It would be only an eternal, hopeless, heart-breaking struggle for you, and for her;—­pain for you—­deep pain and resentment and bitterness for those who did not—­perhaps could not—­take your views of—­”

“I don’t care, mother, as long as you and father and Lily stand by her.  And Valerie won’t marry me unless you do.  I didn’t tell you that, but it is the truth.  And I’m fighting very hard to win her—­harder than you know—­or will ever know.  Don’t embitter me; don’t let me give up.  Because, if I do, it means desperation—­and things which you never could understand....  And I want you to talk to father.  Will you?  And to Lily, too.  Its fairer to warn her that I have learned of her meeting Valerie.  Then I’ll talk to them both and see what can be done....  And, mother, I am very happy and very grateful and very proud that you are going to stand by me—­and by the loveliest girl in all the world.”