Gwen was thoughtful a few moments, and suddenly she looked up with an idea.
“Look here, Lawrence,” she said, “if I could once for all convince both of them it wasn’t the least use thinking any more about me, I believe they’d just leave Calcutta, and no one would ever know there had been this bother.”
“And can’t you?”
“I can’t by merely talking. I must try and prove it—and I have an idea, Lawrence.”
“Say on.”
“If I could tell them I was engaged it would just simplify everything.” Lawrence nodded, to show he was following, and waited. “I can only do that with someone to corroborate it, and I’ve been thinking, Lawrence, if you wouldn’t mind helping me, you’re just the man.”
“I am ready for anything. What do you want?”
“I want you to be secretly engaged to me for this evening.”
Lawrence looked up, and there was amusement in his eyes.
“It’s a splendid idea,” she exclaimed, warming to her subject. “I shall tell Captain O’Connor and make him understand it can’t be announced for some particular reason, and he’ll be flattered at being told, and just keep it to himself and say no more. You must, of course, be there yourself to sanction it or he might not believe it.”