certain, if I could meet
you alone in some quiet spot I could get a kiss out of you.

QUEX.

[_Under his breath, glaring at her._] You--! [_Coolly._] Oh, now I
understand. Yes, my dear, but Miss Eden is scarcely likely to believe
that a modest girl would carry her devotion to this extent. Good
heavens! why, your attire--! [_She pulls her robe about her sharply._]
And a woman who compromises herself, recollect, is never measured by her
own character, always by her companion's.

[_She starts to her feet and paces the room, uttering cries of anger and
indignation. He continues to interest himself in the books._

SOPHY.

Oh! no, no! my darling wouldn't think it of me! when I've abused you so
continually! she surely couldn't! oh! oh! [_With flashing eyes._] Now,
look here, my lord! you don't really imagine that I'm going to stick in
this room with you patiently all through the night, do you?

QUEX.

How do you propose to avoid it?

SOPHY.

[_Pointing to the passage-door._] As true as I'm alive, if you don't
unlock that door, I--I--I'll scream the place down!

QUEX.

Why scream? [_Pointing to the bell-rope which hangs beside the door._]
There's the bell. I daresay a servant or two is still up and about.
You'd rouse the house quicker in that way.

SOPHY.

Much obliged to you for the hint. I will--I will--[_She goes to the
bell-rope and grasps it; then she looks round and sees him calmly
turning the leaves of a book he has selected. She stares at him, with
sudden misgiving._] Ha, now we shall see how much your grand scheme
amounts to!

QUEX.

We shall. Ring the bell.

SOPHY.

[_Blankly._] What do you mean?

QUEX.

Pooh, my dear! ring, ring, ring! or yell! You won't be the first
semi-circumspect young person who has got herself into a scrape and then
endeavoured to save herself by raising a hullabaloo.

[_She slowly takes her hand from the bell-rope and moves a step or two
towards him._

SOPHY.

Oh, that's what you'd try to make out, is it? [_He raises his eyes from
his book and gives her a significant look. Leaning upon the arm of the
settee, she says faintly._] You--you--!

QUEX.

Yes, I tell you again, my dear, you have got yourself into a shocking
mess. You've got _me_ into a mess, and you've got yourself in a mess.

SOPHY.

[_Pulling herself up and advancing to him till she faces him._] You--you
are an awful blackguard, my lord.

QUEX.

Thank you, my dear. But you're not far wrong