“And the good angel and the bad shall fight together for this man’s soul,” murmured Antonia. Then she dropped the palette, and faced round, all her delicate pearliness broken up to passion—the passion of the earnest priestess for a convert in danger: “Yes, you’re right, Deb—I have been working to keep you and Gillian apart, now, and before now, and I’ve not given in yet. Accident has backed me up this time.”
“But why? Antonia—why? Not just jealousy?”
“No, child—not just jealousy. But Gillian Sherwood is on her way to do what you must be prevented from doing. And I don’t trust her influence. If Jill cares for Theo, and gives herself to Theo—it’s a splendid person thrown away, but not frittered away. But you,” scornfully, “you’d be all over the place—once you started. You shan’t start.”
Again Deb asked “Why?”
Antonia flashed her a smile which was a radiant appeal to good comradeship: “Because ... you’re such a little goose!”
CHAPTER V
Cliffe Kennedy, entering the Tube at Charing Cross, caught sight of Mr Otto Redbury between the bobbing hats and swaying bodies that crowded up the carriage; and immediately pushed his way to a strap which directly overhung that gentleman’s head.
Cliffe always asserted that on the occasion Deb took him to call, he had discovered a tricky fascination about Mr Redbury; this was clearly an opportunity to refresh the emotion.
Otto waved the evening paper at him, in jubilant greeting.