He doesn't want to go a bit; he'd
much rather be at Harrogate or somewhere of that sort. Perhaps he'd
like Homburg. But he wouldn't go for the world. He's not pathetic at
all, though he wants to be; but he wants to be sarcastic at the same
time, and is cross because the two things won't go together. Of course
he stuck in Francis Lingen. He would. As if he cared about Francis
Lingen, a kind of poodle!"

"You oughtn't to abuse James to me," Lucy said, not very stoutly; "I
don't abuse Laurence."

"Abuse him!" cried Mabel. "Good Heavens, child, I only say out loud
what you are saying to yourself all day. We may as well know where we
are." Then came a pause; and then, "I suppose you and Jimmy Urquhart
are in a mess."

Lucy said nothing; whereupon Mabel showed her clear sight. "And I
suppose you know now who turned the light off." At that terrible
surmise Lucy got up and stood above her sister. "Mabel, I don't know
what to do."

"I am sure you don't," said Mabel. "On the other hand, you know what
you have to do."

"Yes," Lucy replied; "but it isn't so easy as you would think. You
see, I have never spoken to him about it, nor he to me; and it seems
almost impossible to begin--now."

Mabel was out of her depth. "Do you mean--? What do you really mean?"

"I mean exactly what I say. I found out the truth, by a kind of
accident--one day. It wasn't possible to doubt. Well, then--it went
on, you know--"

"Of course it did," said Mabel. "Well?"

--"And there was no disguise about it, after there couldn't be."

"Why should there be, if there couldn't be?" Mabel was at her wits'
end.

"There was no disguise about it, while it was going on, you know. But
in the daytime--well, we seemed to be ordinary people, and nothing was
said. Now do you see?"

Mabel did. "It makes it very awkward for you. But feeling as you do
now, you simply must have it out."

"I can't," Lucy said with conviction. "I know I can't do that. No, it
must stop another way. I must--be hateful."

"Do you mean to make him dislike you? To put him off?"

Lucy nodded. "Something like that."

"Try it," said Mabel.

"You mean it won't answer?"

"I mean that _you_ won't, my dear. You are not that sort. Much too
kind. Now I could be perfectly beastly, if I felt it the only thing."

Lucy was in a hard stare. "I don't feel kind just now. James has given
me a horror of things of the sort. I don't believe he meant it. I
think he felt snappish and thought