than one of
the guests glanced up with a look of interrogation. Dorothea caught her
father's eyes in a gaze which he had some difficulty in returning with
the proper amount of steadiness; but Mrs. Berrington Jones came to the
rescue of the company by asking Mrs. Bayford to tell the amusing story
of how her bath had been managed in Japan.

So the incident passed by, leaving a sense of mystery in the air; though
for Derek, all sense of annoyance disappeared in the knowledge that he
was Diane's champion.

He was thinking over the incident in the luxurious semi-darkness of the
electric brougham as they were going homeward, when the clear voice of
Dorothea broke in on his meditation.

"Are you going to be married, father?"

The question could not be a surprise to him after the occurrence at the
table, but he was not prepared to give an affirmative answer on the spur
of the moment.

"What makes you ask?" he inquired, after a second's reflection.

"I heard what Mrs. Bayford said."

"And how should you feel if I were?"

"It would depend."

"On what?"

"On whether or not it was any one I liked."

"That's fair. And if it was some one whom you did like?"

"Then it would depend on whether or not it was--Diane."

"And if it was Diane?"

"I should be very glad."

"Why?"

She slipped her arm through his and snuggled up to him.

"Oh, for a lot of reasons. First, because I've always supposed you'd be
getting married one day; and I've been terribly afraid you'd pick out
some one I couldn't get along with."

"Have I ever shown any symptom to justify that alarm?"

"N--no; but you never can tell--with a man."

"Can you be any surer with a woman?"

"No; and that's one of my other reasons. I'm not very sure about
myself."

"You don't mean that it's to be young Wap--?" he began, uneasily.

"I suppose it will have to be he--or some one else. They keep at me."

"And you don't know how long you may be able to hold out."

"I'm holding out as well as I can," she laughed, "but it can't go on
forever. And then--if I do--"

"Well--what?"

"You'd be left all alone, and, of course, I should be worried about
that--unless you--you--"

"Unless I married some one."

"No; not some one; no one--but Diane."

They were now at their own door, but before she sprang out she drew down
his face to hers and kissed him.

IX

During the succeeding week Derek Pruyn, having practically announced an
engagement which did