t that she was chaffing him, and he did not want to be chaffed by
her. He liked the "Quinny" and "Mary" attitude, and he wished that she
would forget that he had written "wise" books.

"You're making fun of me," he said.

"Oh, no, I'm not," she answered quickly. "I'm quite serious!"

He did not answer for a few moments. He could hear Rachel's passionate
voice saying, "They get seven shillings a week ... in theory. There are
fines ..." and he wondered why it was that she repelled him. Her
sincerity was palpable ... it was clear that she was hurt by the
miseries of factory girls ... but in spite of her sincerity, he felt
that he could not bear to be near her. "If she'd only talk of something
else," he thought ... and then returned to Mary.

"Do you remember that time at Boveyhayne?" he said.

"Which time?" she asked.

"The first time."

"Yes."

He swallowed and then went on. "Do you remember what I said to you ...
on the platform at Whitcombe?"

She spoke more quickly and loudly as she answered him. "Oh, yes," she
said, "we got engaged, didn't we? We _were_ kids!..."

Mrs. Graham caught the word "engaged."

"Who's engaged?" she asked.

"No one, mother," Mary answered. "Quinny and I were talking about the
time when we were engaged!..."

He felt a frightful fool. What on earth had possessed her that she
should treat the matter in this fashion?

"Were you engaged, dear?" Mrs. Graham said.

"Oh, yes, mother. Don't you remember? Of course, we were kids then!..."

Why did she insist on the fact that they were "kids" then?

"I remember it," Ninian interjected. "Old Quinny was frightfully sloppy
over it. Oh, I say, I met Tom Arthurs to-day. He's going to Southampton
to-morrow. The _Gigantic's_ starting on her maiden trip, and he's going
over with her. I wish to goodness I could go too!"

"Why don't you?" Mrs. Graham said. It seemed to her too that if Ninian
wished to do anything that was sufficient reason why he should be
allowed to do it.

"I can't get away," he answered. "We're busier than we've ever been. But
I'm going to Southampton to see the _Gigantic_ start. The biggest boat
in the world! My goodness! Tom's awfully excited about it. You'd think
the _Gigantic_ was his son!..."

Henry thanked heaven that at last the conversation had veered from
factories and his engagement to Mary. He tried to fasten it to the
_Gigantic_.

"What are you so busy about that you can't go with Tom?" he asked.

"Oh, h