s!

"Oh, Percy! I can explain it all."

Hastily, eagerly, impulsively, with the most obvious honesty and
frankness, she told him of how Nigel had promised to help her with
Madeline, of how he had planned with her to make Madeline happy; she
told him of the variable and unaccountable conduct of Rupert Denison to
Madeline, of his marked attention at one moment, his coldness at
another. Foolishly, she had been led to believe that Nigel could make
things all right. Now this morning Nigel had asked her to meet him to
tell her that Rupert had been seen choosing hats for another girl.
Bertha was in doubt whether she ought to tell Madeline, and make her try
and cure her devotion. And Bertha had thought it all the kinder of Nigel
because his brother, Charlie, was very much in love with her.

Percy stopped her in the middle of the story. He could take no sort of
interest in it at present. He was much too happy and relieved; he was in
the seventh heaven.

"Yes ... yes ... all right, dear. Only you oughtn't to have made an
appointment with him. Only promise that never again---- You see, things
can be misconstrued. And, anyhow, I don't like to see you with Nigel
Hillier. Frankly, I can't stand it. You'll make this sacrifice for
me--if it is one, Bertha?"

He had quite decided to conceal all about the letters.

"Indeed, indeed I will; and I know I was wrong," she said. "I mean it's
no good trying to help people too much. They must play their own game.
You understand, don't you? Nigel was only to show me a letter he had
written inviting the other girl to lunch--to take her away from Rupert.
But it's all nonsense, and I'll have nothing more to do with it."

"Then that's all right," said Percy, sitting down, with a great sigh of
relief.

"You didn't really think for a moment, seriously, that I ever--that I
didn't--oh, you never stopped knowing how much I love you?" she asked,
with tears in her eyes.

Percy said that he had not exactly thought that. Also, he was not
jealous--that was not the word--he merely wished her to promise never to
see or speak to Nigel again as long as they lived, and never to
recognise him if she met him: that was all. He was perfectly
reasonable.

"It's perhaps a little bit difficult in some ways, dearest. But I
promise you faithfully to do my very, very best. And this I absolutely
swear--I will never see him without your approving and knowing all about
it. But as I shouldn't exactly like him to thi