"You might, really. If he hadn't been in the way she would have known that she cared for you and let you know it, too. But nothing that he ever did or didn't do comes up to this."
"The truth is, Kitty, he thinks I'm rather a bad lot, you know."
"My dear Keith, he thinks that if he doesn't marry Lucy he'd rather you didn't. He certainly hit on the most effectual means of preventing it."
"Oh, did he! He doesn't know me. I shall marry her whatever Sir Wilfrid Spence says. If she's ill, all the more reason why I should look after her. I'm only afraid lest—lest—"
She knew what he thought and could not say—lest it should not be for very long.
"There are some things," he said quietly, "that can't be taken away from me."
Kitty was silent; for she knew what things they were.
"You can trust her to me, Kitty?"
"I can indeed."
And so on Sunday the great man came down.