We would travel through to Milan, then on to
Rome, Naples, Capri--Capri would be delightful."

"My darling!"

"But," she continued, "your plan is quite out of the question. I hate
anything resembling secrecy. Surely you don't imagine that if I
married you I shouldn't want every one to know."

"Why, naturally," said the colonel. "We should send Carrissima a
telegram from Paris. The point is that she wouldn't know what had
happened until we were out of reach. By the time we got back to
Grandison Square she would have learnt to take a sensible view of the
accomplished fact. So would Lawrence."

"Oh dear, you sound like a child who is bent on doing something he
ought to be ashamed of!"

"It's true you make me feel like a boy again," he admitted. "Not that
I have ever felt anything you could call old or even middle-aged. It
will be the proudest day of my life if you consent," he added, and then
Bridget broke into a laugh. She threw back her head as if she were
putting away every misgiving, and Colonel Faversham drew near with the
intention to take her in his arms. Her demeanour suddenly stiffened,
however. In a condescending way she graciously permitted him to press
his lips to her cheek; nor was this unexpected reserve the only
drawback to his new happiness.

In his impetuosity he called her attention to the advantage of a quiet
wedding, since there would be no absurd preparations to cause delay.
As they had only to please themselves, they might just as well get
married forthwith . . . say next week or the week after. Bridget,
however, quite good-humouredly refused to entertain any suggestion of
the kind, protesting that she had done enough for one morning. With
these mitigations, Colonel Faversham's glee appeared fatuous. Always
disposed to boast of his capacity to vie with men a quarter of a
century younger than himself, he had never, surely, done so well as
now! He went to Donaldson's for a diamond ring, which was put on
Bridget's finger the same afternoon, although she declared it must be
taken off again the moment he had gone. The secret must be thoroughly
kept!

While Colonel Faversham approved of every endeavour to keep Carrissima
and everybody else in the dark for the present, he was determined to
stand no nonsense. He requested her to go to Golfney Place, and
following the line of least resistance, she went, persuading Bridget to
come to Grandison Square as her father wished. There one af