t. Still, it diverted him; and he ambled in pursuit.

"Yes," he darkly said. "What do you 'suppose you do' for me?"

"Why, love you," Emmy hurried to explain, trapping herself by speed into
the use of the tabooed word. "Didn't you know? Though it seems funny to
say it like that. It's so new. I've never dared to ... you know ... say
it. I mean, we're both of us quiet, and reliable ... we're not either of
us flighty, I mean. That's why I think we suit each other--better than
if we'd been different. Not like we are."

"I'm sure we do," Alf said.

"Not like some people. You can't help wondering to yourself however they
came to get married. They seem so unlike. Don't they! It's funny. Ah
well, love's a wonderful thing--as you say!" She turned archly to him,
encouragingly.

"You seem happy," remarked Alf, in a critical tone. But he was not
offended; only tingled into desire for her by the strange gleam of
merriment crossing her natural seriousness, the jubilant note of happy
consciousness that the evening's lovemaking had bred. Alf drew her more
closely to his side, increasingly sure that he had done well. She was
beginning to intrigue him. With an emotion that startled himself as
much as it delighted Emmy, he said thickly in her ear, "D'you love
me ... like this?"

xi

They neared the road in which the Blanchards lived: Emmy began to press
forward as Alf seemed inclined to loiter. In the neighbourhood the
church that had struck eight as they left the house began once again to
record an hour.

"By George!" cried Alf. "Twelve ... Midnight!" They could feel the day
pass.

They were at the corner, beside the little chandler's shop which
advertised to the moon its varieties of tea; and Alf paused once again.

"Half a tick," he said. "No hurry, is there?"

"You'll come in for a bit of supper," Emmy urged. Then, plumbing his
hesitation, she went on, in a voice that had steel somewhere in its
depths. "They'll both be gone to bed. She won't be there."

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of that," Alf declared, with unconvincing
nonchalance.

"I'll give you a drop of Pa's beer," Emmy said drily.

She took out a key, and held it up for his inspection.

"I say!" Alf pretended to be surprised at the sight of a key.

"Quite a big girl, aren't I! Well, you see: there are two, and Pa never
goes out. So we have one each. Saves a lot of bother." As she spoke Emmy
was unlocking the door and entering the house. "See, you can have supp