At least, by instinct, I knew...."

"Then it wasn't because ... because--I'm half ... Rajput?"

"_Roy!_" But for all her surprise and reproach, intuition told him the
idea was not altogether new to her. "What made you think--of _that_?"

"Well--because it partly ... broke things off--out there. That startled
me. And when Dad's miracle of a picture woke me up with a vengeance ...
it terrified me. I began wondering.... Beloved, are you _quite_ sure
about Aunt Helen ... Sir James...?"

She paused--a mere breathing-space; her free hand caressed his hair.
(This time, he did not shift his head.) "I'm utterly sure about Mother.
You see ... she knows ... we've talked about it. We're like sisters,
almost. As for Father ... well, we're less intimate. I did fancy he
seemed the wee-est bit relieved when ... your news came...." The pain in
his eyes checked her. "My blessed one, I won't have you _daring_ to
worry about it. I'm feeling simply beyond myself with happiness and
pride. Mother will be overjoyed. She realises ... a _little_ ... what
I've been through. Of course--in our talks, she has told me frankly what
tragedies often come from mixing such 'mighty opposites.' But she said
all of you were quite exceptional. And she knows about such things. And
_she's_ the point. She can always square Father if--there's any need. So
just be quiet--inside!"

"But ... that day," he persisted, Roy-like, "_you_ didn't think of
it----?"

"Faithfully, I didn't. I only felt your heart was too full up with Aunt
Lila and India to have room enough for me. And I wanted _all_ the
room--or nothing. Vaguely, I knew it was _her_ dream. But my wicked
pride insisted it should be _your_ dream. It wasn't till long after,
that Mother told me how--from the very first--Aunt Lila had planned and
prayed, because she knew marriage might be your one big difficulty; and
she could only speak of it to Mummy. It was their great link; the idea
behind everything--the lessons and all. So you see, all the time, she
was sort of creating me ... for you. And the bitter disappointment it
must have been to her! If I'd had a glimmering ... of all that--I don't
believe I could have held out against you----"

"Then I wish to heaven you'd had a glimmering--because of her and
because of _us_. Look at all the good years we've wasted----"

"We've not--we've _not_!" she protested vehemently. "If it had happened
then, it wouldn't have come within miles--of this. You simply hadn'