over his mouth. He kissed it. She withdrew it with
a scream.

"...Drinks," finished Donovan. "The chef must suggest accordin'."

"Well," said Pennell, "I reckon that's settled satisfactorily. I'll get
out my invitation. In fact, I think, if I may be excused, I'll go and do
it now." He got up and reached for his cap.

They all laughed. "We'll see to it that there's mistletoe," cried Julie.

"Ah, thanks!" said Pennell; "that will be jolly, though some people I
know seem to get on well enough without it. So long. See you later,
padre."

He avoided Julie's flung cushion and stepped through the door. Miss
Raynard got up. "We ought to get a move on too, my dear," she said to
Julie.

"Oh, not yet," protested Donovan. "Let's have some bridge. There are just
four of us."

"You can never have played bridge with Julie, Captain Donovan," said Miss
Raynard. "She usually flings the cards at you half way through the
rubber. And she never counts. The other night she played a diamond
instead of a heart, when hearts were trumps, and she had the last and
all the rest of the tricks in her hand."

"Ah, well," said Donovan, "women are like that. They often mistake
diamonds for hearts."

"Jack," said Julie, "you're really clever. How do you do it? I had no
idea. Does it hurt? But don't do it again; you might break something.
Peter, you've been praised this evening, but you'd never think of that."

"He would not," said Miss Raynard.... "Come on, Julie."

Peter hesitated a second. Then he said: "You're going my way. May I see
you home?"

"Thanks," said Miss Raynard, and they all made a move.

"It's deuced dark," said Donovan. "Here, let me. I'll go first with a
candle so that you shan't miss the duck-boards."

He passed out, Tommy Raynard after him. Peter stood back to let Julie
pass, and as she did so she said: "You're very glum and very polite
to-night, Solomon. What's the matter?"

"Am I?" said Peter; "I didn't know it. And in any case Donovan is all
right, isn't he?"

He could have bitten his tongue out the next minute. She looked at him
and then began to laugh silently, and, still laughing, went out before
him. Peter followed miserably. At the gate Donovan said good-bye, and the
three set out for the hospital. Miss Raynard walked between Peter and
Julie, and did most of the talking, but the ground was rough and the path
narrow, and it was not until they got on to the dock road that much could
be said.

"This is the b