"Oh, that's finished a long time ago. Don't worry about that."
"You see," Gerald went on, "I should hate to think——Oh, well, I'm awfully glad about it, and I think you're both fearfully lucky."
Two hours later Roland and Muriel stood on the landing saying good-night to one another. She was leaning towards him, across the banisters, as she had leant that evening three years earlier, but this time he held her hand in his.
"I can't tell you how happy I am," he was saying; "I shall dream of you all night long."
"And so shall I of you."
"We're going to be wonderfully happy, aren't we?"
"Wonderfully."
And in each other's eyes they saw the eager, boundless confidence of youth. They were going to make a great thing of their life together. Roland cast a swift glance over the banisters to see if anyone was in the hall, then stood on tiptoe, raising himself till his face was on the level with Muriel's.
"Muriel," he said.