spect you any more. It must be stopped.

_Renie._ Dolly, I didn't expect you to take up this attitude.

_Dolly._ You don't suppose I'm going to have this sort of thing in my
own house, do you?

_Renie._ What sort of thing?

_Dolly._ Do you remember the awful row I got into at school when your
boy's love letter was discovered in the Banbury cakes you'd persuaded me
to take in for you?

_Renie._ But you received Banbury cakes of your own!

_Dolly._ Not since I've been married. Of course before your marriage
your outrageous flirting didn't much matter----

_Renie._ Outrageous flirting?--If I seemed to flirt----

_Dolly._ Seemed?!

_Renie._ It was only in the vain hope of meeting with one who could
offer me the perfect homage that I have always felt would one day be
mine.

_Dolly._ Well, he mustn't offer it here! I shall tell him so very
plainly. He'd better not stay to dinner.

_Renie._ There is no reason Captain Wentworth should not stay to dinner.
He has given me the one absolutely blameless unselfish devotion of his
life. I've accepted it on that distinct understanding. I've trusted you
with my secret, a secret honourable alike to Captain Wentworth and
myself. You've promised not to breathe a word to any living soul. You
surely don't mean to break your word?

_Dolly._ I don't mean to stand the racket of your Banbury cakes.

_Renie._ I didn't expect you to be so unsympathetic. You promised to
help me!

_Dolly._ Help you! How did you expect me to help you?

_Renie._ My husband has to go to Edinburgh next week to give a course of
lectures there.

_Dolly._ Well?

_Renie._ He wants me to go with him. Dearest, it would be perfectly
sweet of you to ask me to stay on another fortnight here.

_Dolly._ [_Makes a little movement of indignant surprise._] I see!

_Renie._ There could be no possible harm in it now that you know our
attachment is quite innocent and that you can look after me every
moment. Dearest, you might oblige me in a tiny little matter like this.

_Dolly._ [_After a pause._] I'll think it over----

_Renie._ Thank you so much.

_Dolly._ Renie, you said Mr. Pilcher's sermon came just in the nick of
time----

_Renie._ So it did.

_Dolly._ You don't call this the "nick of time"?!

_Renie._ Yes, indeed. I went to church in a perfect fever. I didn't know
what to do. Well, as I listened to Mr. Pilcher everything became quite
clear to me. I resolved I would accept Captain Wentworth's pure