he arguments and all the dismay that the
revelation of his purpose would set in motion. However, the marriage had
to be. He had threshed it all out last night. But he might reasonably
hope for a brief delay. Such a hope was no disloyalty to his
determination.

Stella was already at breakfast when he came downstairs. Michael raised
his eyebrows in demand for news of her and Alan.

"Mother was the sweetest thing imaginable," she said. "And so we're
engaged. I wanted to come and talk to you last night, but I thought you
would rather be left alone."

"I'm glad you're happy," he said gravely. "And I'm glad you're safe."

Stella looked at him in surprise.

"I've never been anything but safe," she assured him.

"Haven't you?" he asked, looking at her and reproving himself for the
thought that this gray-eyed sister of his could ever have exposed
herself to the least likelihood of falling into Lily's case. Yet there
had been times when he had felt alarmed for her security and happiness.
There had been that fellow Ayliffe, and more serious still there had
been that unknown influence in Vienna. Invulnerable she might seem now
in this cool dining-room on a summer morning, but there had been times
when he had doubted.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, flaunting her imperious boyishness
in his solemn countenance.

"You. Thinking you ought to be damned grateful."

"What for?"

"Everything."

"You included, I suppose," she laughed.

Still it had been rather absurd, Michael thought, as he tapped his egg,
to suppose there was anything in Stella's temperament which could ever
link her to Lily. Should he announce his quest for her approbation and
sympathy? It was difficult somehow to begin. Already a subtle change had
taken place in their relation to each other since she was engaged to
Alan. Of course, his reserve was ridiculous, but he could not bring
himself to break through now. Besides, in any case it were better to
wait until he had found Lily again. It would all sound very
pretentiously noble in anticipation, and though she would have every
right to laugh, he did not want her to laugh. When he stood on the brink
of marriage, they would none of them be able to laugh. There was a grim
satisfaction in that.

"When does mother suggest you should be married?" he asked.

"We more or less settled November. Alan has given up the Civil Service.
That's my first piece of self-assertion. He's coming for me this
morning, a