there’d be a tremendous fascination in being so near you, with my face hidden, you not knowing, if only the strain of it needn’t last too long; and Molly just cut the Gordian knot of the scrape, as she always does.  She assured me that being in the same car need commit me to no decision as to what I would do in the end.  But—­you remember how she drew you out, about your feeling for the Boy, how you missed him, and how you were going all the way down to Monte Carlo on the bare chance of his being there?  Well, she meant me to hear every word, and I did.  After that—­after that—­I—­couldn’t give you up.  I don’t believe I could, anyway, when I’d straightened things out in my mind.  I’d told you that you would never see the Boy again, and you never will; but Molly said that was no reason why you shouldn’t see the Boy’s sister.  I wrote a note from him to you, for myself to bring to-night, and I thought—­I hoped—­you might perhaps believe——­”

“You couldn’t have hoped it,” I broke in.  “Say that you came to give me back my Little Pal, whom you had stolen from me.”

“It may be.  I don’t know, myself.  I couldn’t foresee what would happen.  As I heard you say, about motoring down steep hills, I just hurled myself into space, and trusted to Providence.”

“Now I understand all that was mysterious in myself,” I said.  “My heart, not being such a fool as my head, was trying continually to telegraph the truth about the Little Pal to my brain, which couldn’t get the message right, as there was far too much electricity flying about in the atmosphere.  Now I know why I loved the Boy so dearly, because he was you; because he was that Other Half which every man is always unconsciously looking for, round the world, and hardly ever finds.”

“Oh, Man, do you really care—­like that?  Do you love me—­love ’for sure’ this time?”

“Sure for this time, and for Eternity.  There never really was, there never will be, any other woman in my life except you:  for you are my Life and my World.”

“You don’t hate me for my masquerade?”

“Hate you!  I’ll prove to you whether I——­”

“Why does your face look suddenly different, Man?  Why do you stop?”

“Because—­I’ve remembered something that I’d forgotten.”

“What?”

“Your horrible money.”

“Don’t you think I knew you’d forgotten?  Oh, Man, the money would be horrible indeed, if you should let it come between us, but you won’t, will you?  We belong to each other; your following me here proves it beyond doubt.  I’ve known for weeks that I never truly cared for anyone else, for I love you, and can’t do without you.”

“Then there’s nothing on earth that shall come between us.  Money or no money, what does it matter, after all?  Will you finish the journey of Life with me, my Little Pal—­my Love?”

The star-eyes answered.  And at that moment Molly and Jack came in.