ght on the promenade. You know--when you had the
red dress on. But you needn't flatter yourself much over that sort of
attention, I can tell you. He'd have gone on just the same with any
sort of girl out of Flodmouth who happened to take his fancy for the
minute. You don't know men of his sort like I do. And now you're
silly enough to stop on at the Wilsons just because he asks you: even
when I ask you not. It's time you learnt----"

"Don't talk rot!" interrupted Caroline--a sudden heat of anger flushing
her all over as she jumped up from her seat. "I'm nothing to Wilson
and he's nothing to me. Look there--if you want any proof. That
doesn't look as if he had eyes for any other girl but his own, does it?"

Wilf glanced in the direction indicated, and Caroline sat down again.
Then they both watched Wilson coming down the promenade with Laura
Temple, whose happy face was turned towards her lover with a glow of
trust and confidence upon it that no one could mistake: and when he
looked at her, his rather coarse-featured, harsh face was softened a
little, as if irradiated by that glow. They walked close together,
talking gaily as they threaded in and out of the crowd from which
advancing twilight had begun to steal the bright colours. Soon all
girls wearing white, even those with bold features and exaggerated
coiffures, became exquisite in that half light: and across the still
expanse of darkening sea the Flamborough Beacon swung out,
white--white--red; a night made for young lovers.

But the two who sat on the long chairs by the rail of the promenade
were letting it all go by, engrossed in their own pricking
dissatisfaction. "Well, what does it matter to me whether Mr. Wilson
and Miss Temple look soppy over each other, or not?" said Caroline.
Then she rose again abruptly: "My head aches. I'm tired of watching
all these people go past. It makes me feel dizzy. Let's go for a turn
on the cliff."

He remained obstinately seated on the canvas chair, his legs stretched
out before him. "What's the use? When we've just paid twopence each
for our chairs? They'll be snapped up in a minute and we shan't get
any when we come back."

"All right. You stop where you are," said Caroline, walking away.

He let her go until she reached the exit that led towards the cliff
top, then reluctantly rose from his seat and with long strides caught
her up. "Oh, don't you come if you don't want to. I'm all right," she
said