have lent you money?"

"I pawned my pearl necklace. I got three pounds, and there's three on my
watch."

"Six pounds. H'm. Got the tickets? Yes, but then--you said you
borrowed?"

"I did, too," said Ann Veronica.

"Who from?"

She met his eye for a second and her heart failed her. The truth
was impossible, indecent. If she mentioned Ramage he might have a
fit--anything might happen. She lied. "The Widgetts," she said.

"Tut, tut!" he said. "Really, Vee, you seem to have advertised our
relations pretty generally!"

"They--they knew, of course. Because of the Dance."

"How much do you owe them?"

She knew forty pounds was a quite impossible sum for their neighbors.
She knew, too, she must not hesitate. "Eight pounds," she plunged, and
added foolishly, "fifteen pounds will see me clear of everything." She
muttered some unlady-like comment upon herself under her breath and
engaged in secret additions.

Mr. Stanley determined to improve the occasion. He seemed to deliberate.
"Well," he said at last slowly, "I'll pay it. I'll pay it. But I do
hope, Vee, I do hope--this is the end of these adventures. I hope you
have learned your lesson now and come to see--come to realize--how
things are. People, nobody, can do as they like in this world.
Everywhere there are limitations."

"I know," said Ann Veronica (fifteen pounds!). "I have learned that. I
mean--I mean to do what I can." (Fifteen pounds. Fifteen from forty is
twenty-five.)

He hesitated. She could think of nothing more to say.

"Well," she achieved at last. "Here goes for the new life!"

"Here goes for the new life," he echoed and stood up. Father and
daughter regarded each other warily, each more than a little insecure
with the other. He made a movement toward her, and then recalled the
circumstances of their last conversation in that study. She saw his
purpose and his doubt hesitated also, and then went to him, took his
coat lapels, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ah, Vee," he said, "that's better! and kissed her back rather clumsily.

"We're going to be sensible."

She disengaged herself from him and went out of the room with a grave,
preoccupied expression. (Fifteen pounds! And she wanted forty!)

Part 4

It was, perhaps, the natural consequence of a long and tiring and
exciting day that Ann Veronica should pass a broken and distressful
night, a night in which the noble and self-subduing resolutions of
Canongate displayed themselves for