etter send for them and let them stay here a
bit. Could you stand another week of Southbourne? You said you hated
it."

"Yes. I hated it. I shouldn't have stayed if it hadn't been for you."

"Do you mind staying a little longer now?"

"I don't mind staying anywhere where you are."

"Well--just a little longer."

She saw the workings of his mind. The people here had been saying awful
things about her. If he took her away they would continue to say them.
He couldn't stop them. He couldn't for instance, go up to Colonel Hankin
before leaving, and tell him that he lied, and that Mrs. Tailleur,
though appearances might be against her, was as innocent a lady as Mrs.
Hankin. He couldn't even announce his engagement to her by way of
accounting for their simultaneous departure. They were not accountable
to these people. But, if they stayed on as if nothing had happened, he
could demonstrate to everybody's satisfaction that he had no other
intention with regard to Mrs. Tailleur than to make her his wife and a
mother to his children. That was why he was sending for them. Evidently
the idea he had--poor lamb--was that he could shelter her innocence with
theirs.

And so she told him that she adored Southbourne now and didn't care how
long they stopped there.

Lucy's idea had really gone more or less on those lines, though they
remained rather more obscure to him than they were to Kitty.

His scheme was so far successful that there were people in the Cliff
Hotel who knew about his engagement before Jane did.

It was clear to the management, at any rate, that some consecrating seal
had been set to the very interesting relations of Mrs. Tailleur and Mr.
Lucy. The manager was more inclined than ever to take a favourable view
of Mrs. Tailleur. To begin with, Mrs. Tailleur had ordered a private
sitting-room. Then Mr. Lucy presented himself at the bureau with Mrs.
Tailleur and inquired whether he could have a room for his two little
girls and their nurse. The manager's wife looked dubious. The best
rooms, she said, were taken. And Mrs. Tailleur said, looking at Mr.
Lucy, "How about poor Bunny's room? The one leading out of mine?"

A fine flush appeared on Mr. Lucy's face as he said he would have that
room.

He then announced that he would wire for the little girls to come at
once, and that they would arrive at four o'clock to-morrow. It was
further arranged that they were to have their meals in Mrs. Tailleur's
private sitting