d sharply.

"You wouldn't tell him what she was, what she had been--if he didn't
know it. Would you?"

He was silent.

"Would you?" she cried.

"No, Kitty, I wouldn't do that. I'm not a cad."

He pondered.

"But my dear girl, do you suppose for a moment that he doesn't know?"

"He doesn't know a thing."

"Then what in heaven's name are you talking about?"

"I'm trying to tell you. It isn't what you think. I--I'm going to be
married."

Marston took his cigarette out of his mouth, and stared at it. There was
no expression in his face beyond that concentrated, attentive stare.

"Good Lord. Why," he said, "couldn't you tell me that before I came
down?"

"I was going to. I was going to write to you and ask you not to come."

"_Good_ God."

He said it softly, and with calm incredulity rather than amazement.

"Who is it, Kitty? Do I know him?"

"No."

"Do you know him yourself?"

She smiled. "Yes I know him."

"Well--but how long?"

"Ten days."

"You met him here? In this hotel?"

"Yes."

"That's why you were so anxious for me to go to the Metropole, was it?"

"Yes."

"Look here. I don't want to be unkind, but it doesn't do to blink facts.
Are you quite sure he means to marry you?"

"Why shouldn't he?"

"Well, these marriages do happen, but--I don't want to be unkind
again--but you know they are, to say the least of it, a little unusual."

"Yes."

"You've seen some of them?"

"Yes."

"And you know, you know as well as I do, the sort of man who--who----"

"Who marries the sort of woman I am? Yes, I know him, perfectly well.
He's horrible."

"There are exceptions, but he's generally pretty bad. You think he's
horrible. You'll be miserable when you find yourself tied to him for
life. You see, however awful he was, you wouldn't be exactly in a
position to get rid of him."

"Wilfrid," her voice was very low and tender, "he isn't like that. He's
good----"

"Good, is he?" He laughed.

"Oh, don't laugh. He _is_ good."

"Well, I don't say he isn't--only----" he smiled.

"You forget," she said. "He doesn't know."

"Are you quite sure he doesn't know?"

"Quite--quite sure."

"And you are not going to enlighten him?"

She drew back before his penetrating gaze. "I can't. I couldn't bear him
to know."

"How do you propose to prevent his knowing? Do you think you're clever
enough to keep him in the dark for ever?"

"Why not? He hasn't seen things in the broad daylight, under his