Her surprise changed to pleasure when she recognized their identity.
“Ah!” she said. “You come too late. Gladys and I have had quite an adventure, haven’t we, cousin?”
Mr. Quincunx glanced at the American to see if he embraced the full generosity of the turn she gave to the situation.
Gladys took advantage of it in a moment. “You see I was right after all,” she remarked. “I knew you would lose your alarm directly you saw that girl! When it came to the point you were braver than I. You dear thing!” She kissed the Italian ostentatiously, and then retook possession of her admirer’s arm.
“I got her up to her room without waking her father,” said Lacrima. “She had left the door wide open. Gladys is going to ask Mr. Romer to have her sent away to some sort of home. I believe they’ll be able to cure her. She talked quite sensibly to me. I am sure she only wants to be treated gently. I’m afraid her father’s unkind to her. You are going to arrange for her being sent away, aren’t you, Gladys?”
The elder girl turned. “Of course, my dear, of course. I don’t go back on my word.”
The four friends proceeded to take the nearest path through the wood. One by one the frightened wild-geese returned to their roosting-place on the island. The water-rats resumed uninterrupted their night-prowls along the reedy edge of the lake, and the wood-pigeons settled down in peace upon their high branches.
Long before Dead Man’s Lane was reached the two couples had drifted conveniently apart in their lingering return.