"My gloves! But I must go in five minutes."
"In five minutes? When the night is so young?" He drew forward another chair, and sat down beside her.
"Do you know how glad and proud I feel?"
She looked up quickly. His tone had subtly changed.
"Lord Deerehurst," she said, "I must explain that the reason I came—the reason I came, instead of sending for you or writing——"
Deerehurst leant forward and laid his cold hands over hers.
"Let me take these off! It feels so very formal and unlike ourselves."
He began softly to open the buttons of her glove and draw it deftly from her hand.
"But you haven't listened to what I said," she objected. "I want to explain at once, so that you can understand at once——"
Before answering, he drew off the second glove and laid the two upon the table.