"Abroad somewhere."

"Does he take his wife with him?"

She laughed light-heartedly, as though relieved from some oppression.

"No, I fancy not—in fact I think it is rather to escape her."

"Oh!" he said, and relapsed into silence. Then suddenly reverting to his original train of thought, which Darcy's name suggested, he spoke abruptly:—

"Why did you ask me to drive with you this afternoon?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you—no, I didn't— I wanted you to talk to me."

"About last night?"

"Yes."

"But it's impossible—if you can believe——!" he cried hotly.