. "It is out of the question. It
would be wicked--cruel!"

"I think I had better tell him," repeated Marion persuasively.

Philippa thought a moment. "If you do he would not believe you," she
said, with a little note of triumph in her voice. "I should not be
afraid. Of course it is quite impossible to think of such a thing on
account of the distress it would cause him. He would only be afraid it
was part of the old trouble--that he was dreaming or delirious. He
would never believe you."

Marion recognised the truth in this, and withdrew from that line of
attack. She thought for a moment of asking Philippa what her mother's
opinion would be, but on reflection decided not to mention Lady Lawson.
Her intuition told her that she would hardly be the person to consider
ethics, and would probably be quite willing that her daughter should
follow her inclinations, always provided that the social and financial
position of the man she wished to marry left nothing to be desired.

Philippa rose from her seat and took two or three steps across the
room; then she turned and faced her friend.

"I cannot tell you, dear, how sorry I am that you and I should differ
over this. But nothing you can say will make me alter my mind. I am
absolutely positive that what I am doing is best for Francis, and I
only wish I could make you think so too. Do you imagine that I would
do anything that was not for his good--I who love him so much? Of
course I wouldn't. I would not have promised to marry him if I had not
cared for him. I could not have done such a thing. It would have been
a dreadful position, and I can't bear to think of what it would have
meant. But after all there is no reason to think of it now. I love
him and I will be his most loving wife. My every thought shall be
devoted to him and to taking care of him. I only wish you could see
him. Perhaps then you would understand. But it is not possible. It
is most important that he should not be worried or disturbed, and if he
saw you he might worry because he did not remember you. I know there
will be difficulties, but I am confident they can be overcome. We
shall be married very quietly in a month or six weeks' time. I haven't
written to my mother about it yet, but, of course, I will do so when it
is definitely settled. Then I shall take Francis abroad to some quiet,
sunny place, where he will not be in the least likely to see any one he
knew before his illness.