yet no sign of
Toby. It wanted two or three minutes to the hour. A rush of traffic made
Oxford Street roar as if with fury. It was like the sea, but without
gradations of sound. Big red motor-omnibuses thundered along, and cabs
flew by. There were occasional electric broughams such as she coveted,
which tinkled a bell instead of sounding some one of the ugly horns
which added their noise to the general racket. And Toby did not come. A
panic seized her. Perhaps her letter after all had been forwarded to
him? Perhaps he was not coming? Much as she had dreaded his violence,
such a failure now impressed her as even more sinister. She had stopped
dead in the violence of this sudden thought, and was for the moment
blinded and deafened, when Toby gently took her arm. Sally's first jump
of horror was followed by such an abandonment to his arms that she was
rendered quite unconscious of the place and the notice of those who
passed. Only she recognised that Toby was there, that he was not angry,
that he was the same strong lover she had always known, ready and
determined, her lover among all men.

"Not the pictures. Not the pictures," she pleaded, with tears in her
voice. "Come for a walk. Come this way!"

She pulled at Toby's arm, and drew him towards the entrance to Hyde
Park. Her arm was hugging his, her body pressed against Toby's. Only
when they were out of that circle of light did she feel safe, appeased,
able to think with any of her old clearness. She had been a frightened
child. Now she was an exultantly happy one, given over to the great joy
of the moment.

ix

They were immediately lost in the darkness of the Park, hidden from all,
and oblivious of the flashing lamps of vehicles which drove endlessly up
the broad road from Piccadilly. And Sally was in Toby's arms, straining
him to her, sobbing and uttering little sounds of love and relief.

"Hullo, hullo!" cried Toby, jerking her chin up with a rough hand.

"I thought you'd never come! I thought you wouldn't come!" whispered
Sally. "Oh, Toby, I thought you'd never come!" She was hysterical in her
joy.

"Course I come!" exclaimed Toby. "Wodjer take me for?"

"Well, _I_ didn't know." Sally was quite unguarded. "Thought you might
have...." She checked herself. Her body was shaken with a little thrill
of laughter--laughter of silly joy. She hugged him closer. "Been away a
long time this time," she said. "Quite a sailor, ain't you?... Did you
have rough weather