“I don’t see—­not unless you’re trying to tell me that you’ve—­that your feelings have undergone a—­”

He was still smiling rather mechanically, though he tugged nervously at the end of his horizontal mustache.  “Wouldn’t it be possible—­now that everything has turned out so—­so beautifully—­wouldn’t it be possible to let the rest go without—­without superfluous explanations?”

“I’m ready to do everything you like; but I can’t help being surprised.”

“That must be because I’ve been more successful than I thought I was.  I fancied that—­when I saw how things were with you—­you saw how they were with me—­and that—­”

“Saw how they were with you?  Do you mean?—­No, you can’t mean!—­it isn’t—­Drusilla?”

Since Drusilla would do as well as another, he still stood smiling.  She clasped her hands.  Her face was all aglow.

“Oh, I should be so glad!  It’s only within a few days that I’ve seen—­how it was—­with—­”

He hastened to interrupt her, though he had no idea of what she was going to say.  “Then so long as you do see—­”

“Oh yes; I—­I begin to see.  I’m afraid I’ve been very stupid.  You’ve been so kind—­so noble—­when all the while—­”

“We won’t discuss that, what?  We won’t discuss each other at all.  Even if you go your way and I go mine, we shall still be—­”

He didn’t finish, because she dropped again to the sofa, burying her face in the cushions.  It was the first time he had ever seen her give way to deep emotion.  If he had not felt so strong to carry the thing through to the end, he would have been unnerved.  As it was, he sat down beside her, bending over her bowed head.  He made no attempt to touch her.

“I can’t bear it,” he could hear her panting.  “I can’t bear it.”

“What is it that you can’t bear?  The pain?” She nodded without raising her head.

“Or the happiness?” he asked, gently.  She nodded again.

“That is,” he went on, “pain for me—­and happiness about—­about—­the other chap.”

She made the same mute sign of affirmation.

“Then, perhaps, that’s just as it should be.”

* * * * *

When Ashley got out to the road Davenant was still standing by the gate, uncertain whether to turn back to the house or go away.  Ashley continued to smile jauntily.  If he was white about the temples and sallow in the cheeks there was no one to notice it.

“Miss Guion wants to see you,” he announced to Davenant.  “It’s about that matter of her father.  I dare say you’ll pull it off.  No, not just now,” he added, as Davenant started to go up the driveway.  “She—­she’s busy.  Later will do.  Say this afternoon.  Come along with me.  I’ve got something to tell you.  I’m on my way to the Temples’.”

Once more Ashley slipped his arm through Davenant’s, but they walked on in silence.  The silence continued till they were on the Embankment, when Ashley said:  “On second thoughts, I sha’n’t tell you what I was going to just now.”