nd I had talked it over before dinner, you would not
mind--casting the die for us."

There was a pause while Joyselle deliberately moved beyond the radius of
the light.

Theo did not move, but his immobility was the motionlessness of extreme
tension. He had not observed the discrepancy in her story, Brigit saw,
and was simply waiting.

It seemed many minutes before Joyselle spoke. Then he said briskly, "The
pros and cons are many, Theo. Brigit will tell you them later. And there
are--clothes to be got, are there not? And I must go away in a few
days--to Madrid, and shall be gone three weeks. It might be well for you
to marry at once, say early in June, or--you might wait until the
autumn."

He lit a cigarette and Brigit drew a deep breath of relief. Thank God,
he was hedging, and could not make up his mind.

"I do not wish to wait," announced Theo, with unexpected and terrible
decision. "I can see no reason for it, _pere_. Brigit, let it be early
in June."

Joyselle's match fell to the floor, and his cigarette was still unlit.

"I think I have been patient," pursued the young man, his voice
trembling a little. "Ah, father, I love her, and I want my wife."

Joyselle's arm jerked and the unlit cigarette flew out into the
darkness. "You are right," he began abruptly, but Brigit drew nearer to
him and in the darkness laid her hand on his.

"He is right in one way, _Beau-pere_" she said, grasping his hand with
spasmodic strength, "and I am a brute, but I should so _much_ rather
wait a little longer. I have reasons, Theo."

Joyselle caught her hand in his, and gave a great laugh.

"Oh, _mes enfants, mes enfants_," he cried. "When lovers disagree, who
is to decide but--chance? Come, Theo, your chances shall be the same as
hers. Heads you win, tails you lose. Agreed?"

Staggering back into the light, his face flushed, his teeth flashing in
a broad smile, he took a sixpence from his pocket. "You both agree?"

Theo nodded in silence and Brigit answered simply "Yes."

The coin shot from the violinist's thumb-nail, flew up into the air and
was caught on his palm, his left hand covering it.

"Heads, then, a June wedding. Tails, then _mees_ has her way, and the
event is put off till autumn? Right?"

"Yes."

Theo had turned away, and Brigit was free to look full into Joyselle's
face. It was a wonderful face in its absolute oneness of expression.
There were no complications, no remorse, nothing but wild and fierce