"I'm glad you believe that of me," she said; "although it's not quite
true. I cared a good deal about the opinion of the world before--before
I knew you; only I was vain enough to think it would never treat me very
badly."

"It won't," he replied, his audacious smile flashing out for a moment.
"It'll come sneaking back to you before long; it can't keep away.
Besides, I'm cynic enough to know my own advantages, Mildred. Society
doesn't sulk forever with wealthy people, whatever they choose to do."

She answered low: "But I shouldn't care if it did, George. I want
you--just to go right away with you."

A wonderful look of joy and tenderness came over his face. "Mildred! Can
it really be you saying that?" he breathed. "Really you, Mildred?"

They looked each other in the eyes and were silent a minute; but while
the hand next the window held hers, the other one stole out farther to
clasp her. He was too much absorbed in that gaze to notice anything
beyond it; but Mildred was suddenly aware of steps and a voice in the
adjoining room. Tims and Mr. Fitzalan, in the course of a conscientious
survey of all the pictures on the walls, had reached this point in their
progress. The window-seat on which Goring and Mildred were sitting was
visible through a doorway, and Tims had on her strongest glasses.

Since her engagement, Tims's old-maidish bringing up seemed to be
bearing fruit for the first time.

"I think we'd better cough or do something," she said. "There's a couple
in there going on disgracefully. I do think spooning in public such bad
form."

"I dare say they think they're alone," returned the charitable Mr.
Fitzalan, unable to see the delinquents because he was trying to put a
loose lens back into his eye-glasses. Tims came to his assistance,
talking loudly; and her voice was of a piercing quality. Mildred,
leaning forward, saw Mr. Fitzalan and Tims, both struggling with
eye-glasses. She slipped from George's encircling arm and stood in the
doorway of the farther room, beckoning to him with a scared face. He got
up and followed her.

"What's the matter?" he asked, more curious than anxious; for an
encounter with Lady Augusta in person could only precipitate a crisis he
was ready to welcome. Why should one simple, definite step from an old
life to a new one, which his reason as much as his passion dictated, be
so incredibly difficult to take?

Mildred hurried him away, explaining that she had seen some one she