“Go on,” said Mrs. O’Donovan Florence, assuming an attitude of devout attention, which she retained while Beatrice (not without certain starts and hesitations) recounted the fond tale of Peter’s novel, and of the woman who had suggested the character of Pauline.

“But of course!” cried the Irishwoman, when the tale was finished; and this time her shriek of mirth, of glee, was not suppressed.  “Of course—­you miracle of unsuspecting innocence!  The man would never have breathed a whisper of the affair to any soul alive, save to his heroine herself—­let alone to you, if you and she were not the same.  Couple that with the eyes he makes at you, and you’ve got assurance twice assured.  You ought to have guessed it from the first syllable he uttered.  And when he went on about her exalted station and her fabulous wealth!  Oh, my ingenue!  Oh, my guileless lambkin!  And you Trixie Belfont!  Where’s your famous wit?  Where are your famous intuitions?”

“But don’t you see,” wailed Beatrice, “don’t you see the utterly odious position this leaves me in?  I’ve been urging him with all my might to tell her!  I said . . . oh, the things I said!” She shuddered visibly.  “I said that differences of rank and fortune could n’t matter.”  She gave a melancholy laugh.  “I said that very likely she’d accept him.  I said she couldn’t help being . . .  Oh, my dear, my dear!  He’ll think—­of course, he can’t help thinking—­that I was encouraging him—­that I was coming halfway to meet him.”

“Hush, hush!  It’s not so bad as that,” said Mrs. O’Donovan Florence, soothingly.  “For surely, as I understand it, the man doesn’t dream that you knew it was about himself he was speaking.  He always talked of the book as by a friend of his; and you never let him suspect that you had pierced his subterfuge.”

Beatrice frowned for an instant, putting this consideration in its place, in her troubled mind.  Then suddenly a light of intense, of immense relief broke in her face.

“Thank goodness!” she sighed.  “I had forgotten.  No, he does n’t dream that.  But oh, the fright I had!”

“He’ll tell you, all the same,” said Mrs. O’Donovan Florence.

“No, he’ll never tell me now.  I am forewarned, forearmed.  I ’ll give him no chance,” Beatrice answered.

“Yes; and what’s more, you’ll marry him,” said her friend.

“Kate!  Don’t descend to imbecilities,” cried Beatrice.

“You’ll marry him,” reiterated Mrs. O’Donovan Florence, calmly.  “You’ll end by marrying him—­if you’re human; and I’ve seldom known a human being who was more so.  It’s not in flesh and blood to remain unmoved by a tribute such as that man has paid you.  The first thing you’ll do will be to re-read the novel.  Otherwise, I’d request the loan of it myself, for I ’m naturally curious to compare the wrought ring with the virgin gold—­but I know it’s the wrought ring the virgin gold will itself be wanting, directly it’s alone.  And then the poison will work.  And you’ll end by marrying him.”