"Fancy being here with him at this time of night!"
Cecily gave no signs of hearing this superficial criticism on her conduct.
"You must tell me what it's all about," Mina insisted.
Cecily raised her eyes with a weary air, as though she spoke of a distasteful subject unwillingly and to no good purpose.
"I went to tell him he could get Blent back by marrying me."
"Cecily!" Many emotions were packed into the cry. "What did he say?"
Cecily seemed to consider for a moment, then she answered slowly:
"Well, he very nearly beat me—and I rather wish he had," she said.
The net result of the day had distinctly not been to further certain schemes. All that had been achieved—and both of them had contributed to it—was an admirable example of the Tristram way.