r, and encountered Querida's
expressionless gaze.

For a moment Querida turned his head away, and Valerie saw that his face
was pale and sinister.

"Jose," she said, "are you insane to take our innocent affair so
seriously? What in the world has come over you? We have been such
excellent friends. You have been just as nice as you could be, so gay
and inconsequential, so witty, so jolly, such good company!--and now,
suddenly, out of a perfectly clear sky your wrath strikes me like
lightning!"

"My anger is like that."

"Jose!" she exclaimed, incredulously.

He showed the edge of perfect teeth again, but she was not sure that he
was smiling. Then he laughed gently.

"Oh," she said in relief--"you really startled me."

"I won't do it again, Valerie." She looked at him, still uncertain,
fascinated by her uncertainty.

The colour--as much as he ever had--returned to his face; he reached
over for a cigarette, lighted it, smiled at her charmingly.

"I was just lonely without you," he said. "Like an unreasonable child I
brooded over it and--" he shrugged, "it suddenly went to my head. Will
_you_ forgive my bad temper?"

"Yes--I will. Only I never knew _you_ had a temper. It--astonishes me."

He said nothing, smilingly.

"Of course," she went on, still flushed, "I knew you were
impulsive--hot-headed--but I know you like me--"

"I was crazily in love with you," he said, lightly; "and when you let me
touch you--"

"Oh, I won't ever again, Jose!" she exclaimed, half-fearfully; "I
supposed you understood that sentiment could be a perfectly meaningless
and harmless thing--merely a silly moment--a foolish interlude in a
sober friendship.... And I _liked_ you, Jose--"

[Illustration: "'I shall have need of friends,' she said half to
herself."]

"Can you still like me?"

"Y-yes. Why, of course--if you'll let me."

"Shall we be the same excellent friends, Valerie? And all this ill
temper of mine will be forgotten?"

"I'll try.... Yes, why not? I _do_ like you, and I admire you
tremendously."

His eyes rested on her a moment; he inhaled a deep breath from his
cigarette, expelled it, nodded.

"I'll try to win back all your friendship for me," he said, pleasantly.

"That will be easy. I want you to like me. I want to be able to like
you.... I shall have need of friends," she said half to herself, and
looked across at Neville with a face tranquil, almost expressionless
save for the sensitive beauty of the mouth