t?"

"Well, to tell the truth, I don't suppose she'll live with Colin
after--"

"After _what_?"

"Well, after Colin's living with Anne."

Jerrold stiffened. He felt the blood rushing to his heart, betraying
him. His face was God only knew what awful colour.

"You don't mean to say they--"

"I don't mean to say I blame them, poor darlings. What were they to do?"

"But" (he almost stammered it) "you don't know--you can't know--it
doesn't follow."

"Well, of course, my dear, they haven't _told_ me. You don't shout these
things from the house-tops. But what is one to think? There they are;
there they've been for the last five months, living together at the
Farm, absolutely alone. Anne won't leave him. She won't have anybody
there. If you tell her it's not proper she laughs in your face. And
Colin swears he won't go back to Queenie. What _is_ one to think?"

Jerrold covered his face with his hands. He didn't know.

His mother went on in a voice of perfect sweetness. "Don't imagine I
think a bit the worse of Anne. She's been simply splendid. I never saw
anything like her devotion. She's brought Colin round out of the most
appalling state. We've no business to complain of a situation we're all
benefitting by. Some people can do these things and you forgive them.
Whatever Anne does or doesn't do she'll always be a perfect darling. As
for Queenie, I don't consider her for a minute. She's been simply asking
for it."

He wondered whether it were really true. It didn't follow that Anne and
Colin were lovers because his mother said so; even supposing that she
really thought it.

"You don't go telling everybody, I hope?" he said.

"My dear Jerrold, what do you think I'm made of? I haven't even told
Anne's father. I've only told you because I thought you ought to know."

"I see; you want to put me off Anne?"

"I don't _want_ to. But it would, wouldn't it?"

"Oh Lord, yes, if it was true. Perhaps it isn't."

"Jerry dear, it may be awfully immoral of me, but for Colin's sake I
can't help hoping that it is. I did so want Anne to marry Colin--really
he's only right when he's with her--and if Queenie divorces him I
suppose she will."

"But, mother, you _are_ going ahead. You may be quite wrong."

"I may. You can only suppose--"

"How on earth am I to know? I can't ask them."

"No, you can't ask them."

Of course he couldn't. He couldn't go to Colin and say, "Are you Anne's
lover?" He couldn't go to Anne and say