ing
yourself to death all the holidays, you needn't come back and throw cold
water over me."

They all dined with Mrs. Haden, and Michael could not help laughing to
see how seriously and how shyly Alan took the harum-scarum feast at
which, between every course, one of the girls would rush upstairs to
fetch down a fan or a handkerchief or a ribbon.

"I think your friend is charming," said Mrs. Haden loudly, when she and
Michael were alone for a minute in the final confusion of not being
late. Michael wondered why something in her tone made him resent this
compliment. But there was no opportunity to puzzle over his momentary
distaste, because it was time to start for the occupation of the box
which Mrs. Haden had been given by one of her friends.

"I vote we drive home in two hansoms," suggested Michael as they stood
in the vestibule when the pantomime was over.

Alan looked at him quickly and made a grimace. But Michael was
determined to enjoy Lily's company during a long uninterrupted drive,
and at the same time to give Alan the opportunity of finding out whether
he could possibly attach himself to Doris.

Michael's own drive enthralled him. The hot theatre and the glittering
performance had made Lily exquisitely tired and languorous, and Michael
thought she had never surrendered herself so breathlessly before, that
never before had her flowerlike kisses been so intangible and her eyes
so drowsily passionate. Lulled by the regularity of the motion, Lily lay
along his bended arm as if asleep, and, as he held her, Michael's sense
of responsibility became more and more dreamily indistinct. The
sensuousness of her abandonment drugged all but the sweet present and
the poignant ecstasy of possession.

"I adore you," he whispered. "Lily, are you asleep? Lily! Lily, you are
asleep, asleep in my arms, you lovely girl. Can you hear me talking to
you?"

She stirred in his embrace like a ruffling bird; she sighed and threw a
fevered hand upon his shoulder.

"Michael, why do you make me love you so?" she murmured, and fell again
into her warm trance.

"Are you speaking to me from dreams?" he whispered. "Lily, you almost
frighten me. I don't think I knew I loved you so much. The whole world
seems to be galloping past. Wake up, wake up. We're nearly home."

She stretched herself in a rebellious shudder against consciousness and
looked at Michael wide-eyed.

"I thought you were going to faint or something," he said.

Ha