or you both."

"Don't talk rot!" broke in Bunny with sudden heat.

His hold tightened upon her, and she made a quick, instinctive movement
as though to free herself. "I'm not! You know I'm not! You know--quite
well--that if--if--if it hadn't been for me--because you chanced to meet
me first--you certainly would have--have fallen in love with her!"

Toby spoke breathlessly, stammering a little as her habit was when
agitated. Her face was averted, and she was trying very, very hard to
resist the closer drawing of his arms.

But there were times when Bunny would not endure resistance, and this was
one of them. He simply ignored it, till abruptly she yielded to his
mastery. And then in a moment he was tender again.

"Why did you say that?" he said, bending low to look into her downcast
face. "Tell me why you said it! Are you--jealous--by any chance?"

"Oh, no!" declared Toby with vehemence. "No--no--no!"

"Then why?" he persisted. Then with sudden intuition: "You don't like
her, do you?"

Toby's face was burning. "It--it's she that doesn't like me," she said.

"Oh, that's a mistake," said Bunny, decidedly. "Everyone likes you."

She shook her head. "She doesn't. She thinks I'm bad form, and I daresay
she's right. She also thinks--" she lifted her face suddenly, challenging
him--"she also thinks that I set out to catch you--and succeeded."

"She doesn't!" declared Bunny. "That's rot--damn' rot! You are not to say
it. She's a very nice girl and ready to be friendly with you if you'll
let her."

Toby made a rude face. "I knew you were getting fond of her! She's pretty
and stylish and--and much more in your line than I am. Why don't you go
and ask her to marry you? She wouldn't say No."

She flung the words with a little quivering laugh. She was trembling in
his hold.

Bunny's eyes had flashed to sudden anger. He had taken her by the
shoulders almost as if he would shake her.

"Toby, be quiet!" he commanded. "Do you hear? You're going too far! What
do you mean by talking in this strain? What has she done to you?"

"Nothing!" gasped back Toby, backing away from him in a vain effort to
escape. "She hardly knows me even. It's just instinct with her and she
can't help it. But she likes you well enough not to want you to marry me.
You don't suppose--you don't suppose--" the words came breathlessly,
jerkily--"you--you really don't suppose, do you, that--that she made that
suggestion about a season in town for my sak