particular vows, have you--?"

"One."

She halted, looked at him, then went on with her labours, a delicate
colour flushing face and neck.

"Where in the world is that salad, Louis? A hungry girl asks you! Don't
drive me to desperation--"

"Are we going to have coffee?"

"No, it will keep us awake all night! I believe you _are_ bent on my
destruction." And, as she hovered over the table, she hummed the latest
popular summer-roof ballad:

"'Stand back! Go 'way!
I can no longer stay
Although you are a Marquis or a Earl!
You may tempt the upper classes
With your villainous demi-tasses
But--
Heaven will protect the Working Girl!'"

At length everything was ready. He had placed two chairs opposite one
another, but she wouldn't have it, and made him lug up a bench, lay a
cushion on it, and sit beside her.

They behaved foolishly; she fed him strawberries at intervals,
discreetly, on a fork--and otherwise.

"Think of it! Fruit--at three in the morning, Louis! I hope Heaven will
protect _this_ working girl.... No, dear, I'd rather not have any
champagne.... You forget that this is a brand-new girl you're supping
with ... And, for reasons of her own--perhaps as an example to
you--there is never again to be anything like that--not even a
cigarette."

"Nonsense--"

"Oh, it's on account of my voice, not my morals, goose! I have rather a
nice voice you know, and, if we can afford it, it would be a jolly good
idea to have it cultivated ...Isn't this melon divine! What fun,
Louis!... I believe you _are_ a little happier. That crease between your
eyes has quite disappeared--There! Don't dare let it come back! It has
no business there I tell you. I _know_ it hasn't--and you must trust my
word. Will you?"

She leaned swiftly toward him, placed both hands on his shoulders.

"You've a perfectly new girl to deal with," she said, looking him in
the eyes;--"a miracle of meekness and patience that is rather certain to
turn into a dreadful, frowsy old hausfrau some day. But that's the kind
you wanted.... It's none of my doings--"

"Valerie!"

"What?"

"You darling!--do you mean--"

She closed his lips with hers.

"Silence," she said; "we have plenty to talk over before the hour
arrives for me to be a door-mat. I _won't_ be a door-mat when I'm trying
to be happy over a perfectly good supper!... Besides I want to torture
you while there's still time. I want to make you miserable by reminding
you ho