It's your doing--all your fault. You nearly drove me mad when you
sent me away, and I--I----" There was a long pause. "I told you that
I met some friends in the theatre that night when you . . . well, I'm
engaged to her--to Christine. I've known her all my life. I--I was
utterly wretched . . . I asked her to marry me. We're--we're going to
be married the day after to-morrow."

Twice she tried to speak, but no words would come. She was as white
now as the lilies she wore; her eyes had a stunned, incredulous look in
them. She had never even remotely dreamed of this; it was like some
crude nightmare. . . . Jimmy engaged! Jimmy who had sworn a thousand
times never to love another woman; Jimmy who had been heart-broken when
she sent him away. She broke out in vehement protest:

"Oh, no--no!"

"It's true," said Jimmy obstinately. "It's true."

For the moment he was hardly conscious of any feeling except a sort of
shock. It had never once crossed his mind that she would come back to
him; he could not believe even now that she was in earnest; he found
himself remembering that night in her dressing-room at the theatre when
she had lied to him, and pretended, and deceived him. Perhaps even
this was all part of the play-acting; perhaps she was just trying to
win him back again, to make a fool of him afresh.

Cynthia broke out again.

"Well, this girl must be told; she can't care for you. You say you
haven't seen her for years. It's--it's absurd!" She took a step
towards him. "You must tell her, Jimmy; you must explain to her. She
. . . surely there is such a thing as buying her off."

The vulgarity of the expression made him wince; he thought of Christine
with a sort of shame.

She would be the last girl in the world, he knew, to wish to hold him
to a promise which he was unwilling to fulfil; he thought of her pale
face and wistful brown eyes, and he broke out strenuously:

"It's impossible . . . it's too late . . . we are to be married on
Thursday; everything is fixed up. I--oh, for God's sake, Cynthia,
don't go on talking about it. You drove me to do what I have done.
It's too late--I can't go back on my word."

She stood twisting her fingers agitatedly. Suddenly she went to where
he stood; she tried to put her arms round his neck, but he resisted
fiercely. He held her wrists; he kept his head flung back beyond her
reach.

"It's too late, Cynthia--do you hear! I've given my word; I'm not
go