"My poor dear child, what's the matter! You're not sane.... Besides,
it's impossible," said Woodville, hesitating, in a hopeful voice.

"It isn't impossible. Papa's gone out for the whole day. Leave it to me!
I'll arrange it. If the worst came to the worst, I could tell papa that
I longed for a little air and made you take me down to Richmond! Why!
you know he wouldn't mind. He would see nothing in it. We'd be back
before five."

Woodville looked tempted.

"Besides, there would _be_ nothing in it," added Sylvia softly.

He took her hand. "Temptress!" he said. "Of course there wouldn't be any
earthly harm in it," he said doubtfully.

"Then we're going to do it!"

"Are we, Eve?"

"Oh, Frank!" she exclaimed passionately, "it's too absurd, too
unnatural! Why shouldn't we have a moment's happiness? Aren't we going
to be married next year?"

"Probably, if I live through this one."

She was smiling, for she knew she had won. "Yes, you'll live through it
all right--if you only have a little fresh air and change of scene now
and then!"

"I couldn't do it, Sylvia!--How should we go?"

"Drive in a hansom?"

"No, I'll meet you at the Underground Railway at Earl's Court."

"When?" she asked.

"In twenty minutes."

"All right. We'll have a holiday! Everybody has a holiday sometimes!
It's a heavenly day! We will go and walk in Richmond Park and forget all
about the compact worries till we come back at tea-time. Papa won't,
then, be back, and no one will ever know anything about it!" She clapped
her hands. He smiled at her.

"It's settled," he said.

As she went out of the door, she murmured, "In twenty minutes, then,"
and vanished, radiant.

When she had gone, he found all trace of his usual scruples had
inexplicably disappeared. It was natural, and (he said to himself) it
was right! What use was this continual sacrifice of the precious hours
and days of their youth--for an Idea? Besides, she looked so lovely. A
man must be a stone to refuse such a delightful suggestion, or a fool.
He was neither. The reaction was inevitable, and in half an hour they
were in the train together, in the highest spirits, all cares thrown
aside, in the hope of the spring, of sunlight, fresh air, and above all,
being together alone, free, for several hours. It seemed like a dream, a
dream with the added substantial tangible joy of being real.

CHAPTER XVII

SAVILE TAKES A LINE

"Hallo, Savile!" said Felicity, who was pu