rdly another word they spoke, but sat upright staring before them at
the oncoming lamp-posts. Soon Trelawny Road was reached, and in that
last good night was a sense of nearness that never before had Michael
imagined.

By her house they waited for a minute in the empty street, silent,
hand-in-hand, until the other cab swung round the corner. Alan and
Michael watched the two girls disappear through the flickering doorway,
and then they strolled back towards Carlington Road, where Alan was
spending the night.

"Well?" asked Michael. "What do you think of Lily?"

"I think she's very pretty."

"And Doris?"

"I didn't care very much for her really," said Alan apologetically,
"She's pretty, not so pretty as Lily, of course; but, I say, Michael, I
suppose you'll be offended, but I'd better ask right out ... who are
they?"

"The Hadens?"

"Yes. I thought Mrs. Haden rather awful. What's Mr. Haden? or isn't
there a Mr. Haden?"

"I believe he's in Burmah," said Michael.

"Burmah?"

"Why shouldn't he be?"

"No reason at all," Alan admitted, "but ... well ... I thought there was
something funny about that family."

"You think everything's funny that's just a little bit different from
the deadly average," said Michael. "What exactly was funny, may I ask?"

"I don't think Mrs. Haden is a lady, for one thing," Alan blurted out.

"I do," said Michael shortly, "And, anyway, if she weren't, I don't see
that that makes any difference to me and Lily."

"But what are you going to do?" Alan asked. "Do you think you're going
to marry her?"

"Some day. Life isn't a cricket-match, you know," said Michael
sententiously. "You can't set your field just as you would like to have
it at the moment."

"You know best what's good for you," Alan sighed.

"Yes ... I think I do. I think it's better to live than to stagnate as
you're doing."

"What does your mother say?" Alan asked.

"I haven't told her anything about Lily."

"No, because you're not in earnest. And if you're in earnest, Lily
isn't."

"What the devil do you know about her?" Michael angrily demanded.

"I know enough to see you're both behaving like a couple of reckless
kids," Alan retorted.

"Damn you!" cried Michael in exasperation. "I wish to god you wouldn't
try to interfere with what doesn't after all concern you very much."

"You insisted on introducing me," Alan pointed out.

"Because I thought it would be a rag if we were both in love with
sisters. B