"Oh, we must come and see about them," she said. "The khit will show you your room. Max is going to put up with us now," she told Daisy, with a smile that pleaded with her friend to be lenient.
Daisy's hand still held hers. "That is nice, dear," she said. "I must be getting back to Peggy. Is your fiancé coming to the regimental dance to-night?"
"Oh, Max,"—Olga's eyes shone upon him,—"you will, won't you? But of course you will. Noel will have settled that."
The corner of Max's mouth went down. "Noel is not in the habit of settling my affairs great or small," he observed. "If I go at all, it will be in the little god's train and under his auspices alone. But I warn you I'm not much of a dancer."
"What nonsense!" said Olga. "All doctors dance. It's part of their hospital training."
"Is it?" said Max. "Then my medical education is incomplete. My partners generally prefer to sit out after the first round."
"I shan't sit out with anyone," declared Olga. "It's such a waste of time. One can do that any day."
"So one can," said Max. "I hope you are not hurrying away on my account,
Mrs. Musgrave. My business here is not urgent. It will very well wait."
He was evidently in an incurably cynical mood, and Olga gave him up in despair. She went with Daisy to the gate, and, with her arms round her neck, besought her, half-laughing, not to be misled by appearances.
"I was myself," she confessed. "I actually hated him once. But now—but now—"