He turned to her swiftly, gathering her hands up to his lips. "What, darling?"
"Noel,—" she paused an instant, then with a rush came the words—"let us be married very soon! Let us be married—before the operation!"
"My darling girl!" said Noel in astonishment.
"Yes," she said rapidly. "I mean it! I wish it! Dad knows that I wish it. So does Nick. Nick is very good, you know. He—he is going to settle some money on me on my twenty-first birthday. So that needn't be a difficulty. We shall have enough to live upon."
"And you think I'm going to live on you?" said Noel, still with her hands pressed hard against his cheek.
"No," she said. "No. You've got something, I expect. That—with mine—would be enough."
"I've got what my good brother-in-law allows me—besides my pay," said Noel. "I daresay—if the worst happened—he would make a settlement too. But I can't count on that. Besides—the worst isn't going to happen. So cheer up, darling! I shall go back to Badgers yet. Poor old boy! It was decent of him to pay me the compliment of being so cut up, wasn't it? I mustn't forget to send him a cable when the deed is done."
He was switching the conversation into more normal channels with airy inconsequence, but Olga gently brought him back to the point.
"Won't you consider my suggestion?" she said.
He smiled then, his quick, boyish smile. "My darling, I have considered it. I'm afraid it isn't practicable. But thank you a million times over all the same!"