't go yet," she murmured.

"Virginia,"--his voice was urgent--"I will be divinely pompous."

That was so like him. He always tried to safeguard the simplest, most
sincere moments of his life by inverted commas. It was a little trick
that always irritated her.

"What an artist you are," she remarked acidly.

"Yes, indeed," he assented, smiling her out of her irritation. And then:
"I have known you, Virginia, ever since I can remember."

"You told me that the first time we met."

"It is still true."

"How magnificent."

It was her turn now to ward off what she was longing for. To be serious
with Matthew was a form of disarmament you always regretted.

"And knowing you as I do, I recognise the crusading light in your eye
and I must point out to you that your altruistic excursions have not
always ended by tidying up the situation."

"Alas, no."

"Now, why plunge into the eternal triangle? There is really no role for
you unless you propose to supplant the cow. What, by the way, is her
name?"

"Grace."

"I don't like the statuesque," he said, wrinkling up his eyes. "Look at
her ecstatic vacant expression. A dangerous combination."

Virginia wished she had not given him this theme. He would weave it into
such marvellous patterns that she would never be able to get it out
intact again.

"I must have some more facts," he said. "What is the squirrel called?"

"Estelle."

"And the hero?"

"Edgar."

"More and more suitable. What prophetic parents! How admirably they kept
their heads at the font. The squirrel is very vivacious--is it a brave
front, a blind eye or a shallow heart?"

"Estelle is a courageous woman and discreet with the unpierceable
reticence of spontaneity."

"How delightful. I might try Estelle myself."

"You might."

"If I said 'I love you,' would she laugh or cry?"

"Laugh, I think."

"With a little hidden tear in her voice?"

"I have my doubts about the hidden tear."

"Then she would be no good to me. I like mixed effects."

At this moment Grace and Edgar danced by. They were both radiantly fair
and a little colossal in scale. Her eyes were half shut and her mouth
was half open.

"Matthew," Virginia was firm, "something must be done. How can he scale
the heights of a great passion carrying that hold-all?"

"An empty hold-all isn't so very heavy."

"It is if you can't put it down."

"Virginia," he said, "your missionary zeal appals me. Why invade the
situation? What are