o do what he likes?" he recalled without embarrassment.
"Oh, that wasn't in spite of 'everything'--it was only in spite of the
Manto-vano."

"'Only'?" she flushed--"when I've given the picture up?"

"Ah," Hugh cried, "I don't care a hang for the picture!" And then as she
let him, closer, close to her with this, possess himself of her hands:
"We both only care, don't we, that we're given to each other thus? We
both only care, don't we, that nothing can keep us apart?"

"Oh, if you've forgiven me--!" she sighed into his fond face.

"Why, since you gave the thing up _for_ me," he pleadingly laughed, "it
isn't as if you had given _me_ up----!"

"For anything, anything? Ah never, never!" she breathed.

"Then why aren't we all right?"

"Well, if you will----!"

"Oh for ever and ever and ever!"--and with this ardent cry of his
devotion his arms closed in their strength and she was clasped to his
breast and to his lips.

The next moment, however, she had checked him with the warning "Amy
Sandgate!"--as if she had heard their hostess enter the other room. Lady
Sand-gate was in fact almost already upon them--their disjunction had
scarce been effected and she had reached the nearer threshold. They
had at once put the widest space possible between them--a little of
the flurry of which transaction agitated doubtless their clutch at
composure. They gave back a shade awkwardly and consciously, on one side
and the other, the speculative though gracious attention she for a few
moments made them and their recent intimate relation the subject of;
from all of which indeed Lady Grace sought and found cover in a prompt
and responsible address to Hugh. "Mustn't you go without more delay to
Clifford Street?"

He came back to it all alert "At once!" He had recovered his hat and
reached the other door, whence he gesticulated farewell to the elder
lady. "Please pardon me"--and he disappeared.

Lady Sandgate hereupon stood for a little silently confronted with the
girl. "Have you freedom of mind for the fact that your father's suddenly
at hand?"

"He has come back?"--Lady Grace was sharply struck.

"He arrives this afternoon and appears to go straight to
Kitty--according to a wire that I find downstairs on coming back
late from my luncheon. He has returned with a rush--as," said his
correspondent in the elation of triumph, "I was _sure_ he would!"

Her young friend was more at sea. "Brought back, you mean, by the
outcry--even tho