"Of course not! Of course not!" Hastily he sought to make amends. "I don't know how we got on the subject. You must forgive me, my dear. I believe I hear Juliet in the conservatory. We won't discuss this before her."
He would have risen, but she detained him. "Edward, just a moment! I want to ask you something."
"Well?" Reluctantly he paused.
"I—only want to know," she spoke with some effort, "what there is about—Mr. Green that—that makes you so fond of him."
"Oh, that!" He stood hesitating. But there were certainly footsteps in the conservatory; he heard them with relief. "I'll tell you some other time, my dear," he said gently. "Here comes Juliet to turn me out!"
He turned to the window as she entered and greeted her with a smile. Vera was still clinging to his hand.
"May I come in?" said Juliet, stopping on the threshold.
"Yes, of course, come in!" Vera said. "We have been talking about you,
Juliet. Will you come for a voyage with us in Lord Saltash's yacht?"
Juliet came slowly forward. Her face was pale. She was holding a letter in her hand. She looked from one to the other for a second or two in silence.
"Are you sure," she said, in her low quiet voice, "that you wouldn't rather go alone?"