ora, the magnificent, had broken down, and was
weeping like any silly fool of a girl. It was real crying; not the shedding
of the tears of sensibility which often stood in her generous eyes. Emmy
moved gently across the room--she was a soft-hearted, affectionate
woman--and knelt by the sofa.

"Zora, dear."

Zora, with an immense longing for love, caught her sister in her arms, and
the two women wept very happily together. It was thus that Septimus,
returning for tea, as he was bidden, found them some while afterwards.

Zora rose, her lashes still wet, and whipped up her furs.

"But you're not going?"

"Yes. I'll leave you two together. I'll do what I can. Septimus--" She
caught him by the arm and drew him a step or two towards the door. "Emmy
has told me everything. Oh, you needn't look frightened, dear. I'm not
going to thank you--" Her voice broke on the laugh. "I should only make a
fool of myself. Some other time. I only want to say, don't you think you
would be more--more cosy and comfortable if you let her take care of you
altogether? She's breaking her heart for love of you, Septimus, and she
would make you happy."

She rushed out of the room, and before the pair could recover from their
confusion they heard the flat door slam behind her.

Emmy looked at Septimus with a great scare in her blue eyes. She said
something about taking no notice of what Zora said.

"But is it true?" he asked.

She said with her back against the wall:

"Do you think it very amazing that I should care for you?"

Septimus ran his hands vehemently up his hair till it reached the climax of
Struwel Peterdom. The most wonderful thing in his life had happened. A
woman loved him. It upset all his preconceived notions of his place in the
universe.

"Yes, I do," he answered. "It makes my head spin round." He found himself
close to her. "Do you mean that you love me"--his voice grew tremulous--"as
if I were an ordinary man?"

"No," she cried, with a half laugh. "Of course I don't. How could I love an
ordinary man as I love you?"

Neither could tell afterwards how it happened. Emmy called the walls to
witness that she did not throw herself into his arms, and Septimus's
natural timidity precluded the possibility of his having seized her in his;
but she stood for a long, throbbing time in his embrace, while he kissed
her on the lips and gave all his heart into her keeping.

They sat down together on the fender seat.

"When a man d