Lady Lavinia clasped her arms about his neck.
"You make me feel so very, very dreadful! I have indeed been naughty—I—"
"And you'll be so many times again," he told her, laughing.
"No, no! I—will—try to be good!"
"I do not want you good!" Richard assured her. "I want you to be your own dear self!" ... Lady Lavinia disengaged herself with a contented little sigh, and stood up.
"How charming it is to be happy again, to be sure!" she remarked naively. "To think that only half an hour ago I was wishing to be dead!" She went over to the glass and straightened her hair.
Richard looked at her rather anxiously.
"Lavinia—you—you quite understand, I am going to tell everyone the truth—next Friday?" he asked.
"Yes, I do, of course—'tis dreadfully disagreeable of you, but I suppose you will do it. I do hope people will not refuse to recognise us, though."
"No one would ever refuse to recognise you, dearest."