She was conscious of a sensation of relief as reasonless as it was acute. Of what had she been afraid? She herself could not have told.
"I used to look upon that man as my evil genius," she said gaily, "but now I think he must have been sent as an angel in disguise. If it had not been for him I should not have known you loved me—do you remember—that day, in the forest?"
"I am never likely to forget," he answered, with a sudden movement of pain. "When I think what might have happened to you——"
"You mustn't think. Nothing did happen to me—or only something nice. But now you must listen to my news. Imagine what I have done to-day?"
"Nora, is that fair? Do you really expect my exhausted brains to tackle a problem like that!"
"Don't be rude! Think—I have called on the whole family Mayo, and been so polite and amiable that her ladyship only found it in her heart to be rude once. What have you to say to that?"
"What have I to say?" He took her hand and kissed it. "Thank you, dear."
She looked at him in surprise.
"Why, Wolff, does it mean so much to you?"
"Yes, a good deal. You see—one gets a bad name if one neglects certain people."