“Why?” he demanded.

“My dear, I scarcely like to say the words, but she knew Mark Driver long before she knew you.”

“Well, I hope she will see a good deal of old Mark in the future also,” answered Jimmy.  “You force me to break my word,” said Sybil, with considerable emotion.  “Carrissima will never forgive me.  I am sure she won’t.  But I really cannot keep silence while you go to destruction.  I really can’t.  I promised I would never breathe a syllable——­”

“Would you mind,” urged Jimmy, “breathing it quickly!”

“There has been an—­an understanding between Miss Rosser and Mark from the very first,” said Sybil.

“Oh, you mustn’t talk foolishness,” returned Jimmy.

“Carrissima saw them——­”

“What in the world did she see?”

“She happened to go to Golfney Place unexpectedly the afternoon before Miss Rosser left,” Sybil explained.  “She saw the girl in—­in Mark’s arms.  Jimmy, he was kissing her; actually kissing her, and all the time she must have been engaged to Colonel Faversham.”

“Nonsense,” said Jimmy; “I don’t believe a word of it.”

“Do you imagine that Carrissima could possibly tell me an untruth?” demanded Sybil.  “She was half beside herself when I met her, or she would never have said a word.”

“Now,” suggested Jimmy, “you have hit the explanation.  Carrissima was beside herself.  Of course,” he added, “I shall clear the matter up, but I tell you, to begin with, I don’t believe a word of it.”

“How Carrissima managed to carry it off,” said Sybil, “seems wonderful to me.”

“A wonderful story altogether,” returned Jimmy.

“Neither Mark nor—­nor his companion had the slightest idea they were discovered,” said Sybil.

“Oh, then Carrissima didn’t tackle the fellow!”

“How could she?” asked Sybil.  “You see, she had no actual right to complain!  Mark Driver, I dare say, would consider himself free to—­to kiss any woman he pleased.”

“Anyhow,” said Jimmy, with all the assurance in the world, “he didn’t kiss Bridget.”

“Oh, how can you be so blind!” exclaimed his sister.

“When other people see so much,” he answered, “what can be more desirable?”

“Well,” said Sybil, with tears in her eyes, “I have told you what Carrissima saw, and naturally she drew her own conclusions.”

“What were they?” asked Jimmy, thrusting his hands deep in his jacket pockets.

“You are bound,” Sybil explained, “to take into consideration what had gone before.  Only a few hours earlier Mark told Carrissima that he hadn’t seen Miss Rosser for some weeks.  He said he never wished to see her again.  Then in face of that, Carrissima went to Golfney Place, and there was the woman in his arms.”

“Well,” cried Jimmy, “we shall hear what Mark has to say about it.”

“My dear,” said Sybil nervously, “I do hope and trust you won’t get me into trouble.  I should never have uttered a word if it were not for your good.”