standing on the hearthrug with his arm
round Cynthia's waist, and his other hand raising one of hers to his
lips. He looked admirably handsome--strong, protecting, devoted. And
Cynthia, in her fragile appealing prettiness, was a delicious foil, a
perfect complement to the picture. But now, under stress of
emotion--small blame to a man who was making a vow of eternal
fidelity!--under stress of emotion, as, on a previous occasion, under
that of indignation, the Captain had raised his voice!

"Yes, against all the scoundrels in the world, whether they're called
Cranster or Beaumaroy!" he said.

Mary's eyes opened. She sat up. "Cranster and Beaumaroy?" They were the
words which her ears had caught. "What in the world has Mr. Beaumaroy to
do with--" But she broke off, as she saw the couple by the fire. "But
what are you two doing?"

Cynthia broke away from her lover, and ran to her friend with
joyous avowals.

"I must have been sound asleep," cried Mary, kissing her. Alec had
followed across the room and now stood close by her. She looked up at
him. "Oh, I see! She's to be safe now from such people?" On this
particular occasion Mary's look at the Captain was not admiring; it was a
little scornful.

"That's the idea," agreed the happy Alec. "Another idea is that I
trot you both over in the car to Old Place--to break the news and
have dinner."

"Splendid!" cried Cynthia. "Do come, Mary!"

Mary shook her head. "No; you go, you two," she said. "I'm tired, and I
want to think." She passed her hand across her eyes. She seemed to wipe
away the mists of sleep. Her face suddenly grew animated and exultant.
"No, I don't want to think! I know!" she exclaimed emphatically.

"Mary dear, are you still asleep? Are you talking in your sleep?"

"The keyword! It came to me, somehow, in my sleep. The keyword--Morocco!"

"What the deuce has Morocco--" Captain Alec began, with justifiable
impatience.

"Ah, you never heard that, and, dear Captain Alec, you wouldn't have
understood it if you had. You thought he was reciting poems. What he was
really doing--"

"Look here, Doctor Mary, I've just been accepted by Cynthia, and I'm
going to take her to my mother and father. Can you get your mind on to
that?" He looked at her curiously, not at all understanding her
excitement, perhaps resenting the obvious fact that his Cynthia's
happiness was not foremost in her friend's mind.

With a great effort Mary brought herself down to the eart