Watching her lips that wore a little drawn smile, Jolyon said quietly:
"You had better let me tell him, and have done with it. After all, Jon has the instincts of a gentleman. He has only to understand—"
"Only! He can't understand; that's impossible."
"I believe I could have at his age."
Irene caught his hand. "You were always more of a realist than Jon; and never so innocent."
"That's true," said Jolyon. "It's queer, isn't it? You and I would tell our stories to the world without a particle of shame; but our own boy stumps us."
"We've never cared whether the world approves or not."
"Jon would not disapprove of US!"
"Oh! Jolyon, yes. He's in love, I feel he's in love. And he'd say: 'My mother once married WITHOUT LOVE! How could she have!' It'll seem to him a crime! And so it was!"
Jolyon took her hand, and said with a wry smile: