or be shot ... was that it?"

The victim winced.

"You don't understand," he began miserably. "There's a very
important----"

Cecily interrupted with a little laugh.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear! Tony, if you're going to begin to talk about
important matters"--the white hands made a little gesture in the
gloom--"why, of course, I couldn't understand. And I'm quite sure they
wouldn't ask you to do anything that wasn't really important.... Oh,
Tony, you must have had a lot of _terribly_ important things to do
during the last two years: so many that you haven't had time to look up
your old friends, or--or answer their silly letters even ... at least,"
added Cecily, "so I've heard from people who--knew you well once upon a
time."

The King's Messenger rose to his feet and began to walk slowly to and
fro with his hands behind his back. Cecily watched the halting step of
the man who three years before had been the hero of the Naval
Rugby-football world, and found his outline grow suddenly misty.

"Listen," he said quietly. "I've got to tell you something. It's
something I'd have rather not had to talk about.... And I don't know
whether you'll altogether understand, because you're a woman, and
women----"

"I know," said Cecily quickly. "They're just a pack of silly geese,
aren't they, Tony? They've no intuition or sympathy or power of
understanding.... They only want to be left in peace and not bothered
or have their feelings harrowed.... They're incapable of sharing
another's disappointment or sorrow, or of easing a burden or--or
anything...."

The speaker broke off and crossed swiftly to the vacated chair. For a
moment she searched for something among the cushions and, having found
it, stepped to the window and stood with her back to the visitor,
apparently contemplating the blue dusk deepening into night.

The King's Messenger stopped and stared at her graceful form outlined
against the window. Then he took one step towards her and halted
again. Cecily continued to be absorbed in the row of lights gleaming
like fireflies beyond the Park.

"Cecily," he began, and let his mind return to an earlier train of
thought. "Supposing that I--that you were going for a walk with me."

"We'll suppose it," said Cecily. "I've an idea it has happened before.
But we'll suppose it actually happened again."

"I walk very slowly nowadays," added the King's Messenger.

Cecily amended the hypothesis.

"We'll suppose